


Ordinary of the Extraordinary

by JellBeanie



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 63
Words: 238,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27087112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JellBeanie/pseuds/JellBeanie
Summary: A young girl lives in Runeterra, as magicless and normal as any other person there. See how she interacts with that many people she encounters, and how one person, no matter how ordinary, can make the world around them extraordinary.
Comments: 19
Kudos: 27





	1. Stories of the Earth and Sky

"Mother? Can you tell me about that constellation?" I ask as sweetly as I can, hoping that I get to stay up later. _The stars had only started to show! How can she think of telling me to sleep, when the twinkle lights in the dark sky are just starting to say hi to me!_

"Which one, Lei?" My mother asks me. I point out the dimmest stars in the sky, just managing to make out that there was a cluster.

"Oh? You wish to hear about Pantheon? The god of war?" She turns sharply to me, worried and wondering if I'm old enough.

"What's wrong, Mother? I'm six years old! I'm a big girl! I can handle it! Tell me!" I whine and plead with her. At some point, I start making tears in my eyes and wail like I'm going to die. That always gets my father to-

"Love? What's going on? Leilah are you ok? Did you get hurt, my sweet one?" My father's frantic hands check every inch of my pale skin to ensure that I was ok. I start to sniffle.

"Mother won't tell me about the dim constellation in the sky." I whine. Father freezes for a moment, before sighing and leaning to hug Mother to him.

"Leilah, the story of Pantheon is a sad one. Don't you want to hear about Myisha, sweet one? Or the great dragon of the starry sky? What about the starchild?" He tries to console me. I pout immediately.

"I've heard those stories a million times! I'm bored of those stories now! Myisha had so much pranking and mischief in her. I've heard almost every little trick she did. Aurelion Sol is a big dragon who follows the whims of man, Soraka the protector of the people, blah blah blah. I've never heard of Pantheon before! Tell me, pleeeeease!" I whine again.

"Leilah, I'm serious. You're not old enough to hear the story of Pantheon." I stare at him in a momentary mind collapse. Father, usually the one that can stop Mother from scolding me, teaching me the small fun stuff in life, my bestest most favorite person in the whole wide universe, just told me no? _What?_ Mother is also staring at him in shock.

"Honey, I think that is the first time you didn't let Leilah get the story she wanted to hear." She whispered breathlessly. Father gently grabs her hand and kisses it.

"Love, the tales you tell her from those constellations or the stars, that's only tales. I understand that this one hits you closer to home. While I may spoil and dote on Leilah too much, I also know that Pantheon is a sad subject for you. I will stand by your side." They smile at each other, clearly happy. I, on the other hand, am clearly not.

"NO! I WANNA HEAR ABOUT PANTHEON! GIVE ME THE STORY!" I wail and cry, knowing Father will break and Mother will tell me.

"LEILAH!" Father booms. I immediately silence myself, afraid of him for the first time. He sighs, sweeps his tiny tufts back, and gently places a hand on my shoulder.

"Leilah, you have to understand this. This is your history. Your mother's Ancestors met him. What happened when they met is not a pretty tale. You have grown into such a big girl, but you are still a little one. One day I'll persuade your mother to tell you, but that day is not this day nor night. I believe that it is well past your bedtime. With all that ruckus, no stories. Goodnight, my only daughter. Sweet dreams." He murmurs softly to me, his deep voice making me feel safe and suddenly very sleepy.

"No fair, Father. You can't just *yawn* make me sleepy. Can I have a little story until I sleep? Please?" I mumble, the exhaustion of the day and my crying has made me very tired.

"Well, once there was a man who lived on a farm. He loved his farm very much, tending to the fields and caring for his cattle. One day, a very pretty lady came by, stumbling around-" I fell asleep to the calm, soothing voice of Father.

"Father, am I old enough to hear about Pantheon yet?" I ask Father again.

"Not yet, little star." He tells me as he tends the fields. I groan.

"I'm eight years old now, Father. Please?" I beg him, pleading for this incredible history that was still hidden from me. Every single year, on my birthday, without fail, I have asked my parents if I could hear this legendary story of Pantheon. All I ever got was, 'Not yet, my Little star. You shine too brightly for you to have a shadow.' _This year, this year, I would hear the legendary story of Pantheon. For sure._

"Leilah, my darling daughter, you are still so bright and sweet. The story of Pantheon is about war. Are you sure you still want to hear about him? Aurelion Sol was the great Dragon who humbled himself to help us. Soraka, the great celestial that came to our world to help and heal. All the Aspects that constantly watch and protect us. Do you truly wish to hear about war?" I nod.

"You said that this story was our history. How can I learn from history if part of it is blocked from me?" _I think I'm very persuasive at this point._

"You can learn history through their successes, not their failures." Father firmly told me.

"It's not fair! Why do I have to hear only the joys and helpful hands! Why can't I learn failures so that I can learn what not to do!" I burst out, angry and agitated.

"Because why would you wish to hear how a person failing over and over again?" Father attempts to placate me.

"What are you hiding? Why do you hate to tell me my own history? I hate you!" I scream at Father and run away. I can hear him call for me. I ignore it, preferring to run through the fields and get away from a family that won't tell me the story. I'm angered and hurt that this is something they still hide from me. I don't stop running. Not when I reach the edge of my farm, not when I enter the forest, not when I go farther than I ever have been.

"That's so unfair!" I scream into the sky. The birds fly away from the noise I made, and I finally collapse from running too much.

"Why can't I hear about my ancestors? Why is it only about the stars?" I whimper and sob out the rest of my emotions. Time passes so quickly. It was morning when I ran away, and now it is midday. My stomach growls and rumbles painfully, reminding me that I skipped lunch. I guess I better head home now.

 _Only, I don't know where I am. I'm scared. Where am I? Was it down this path or not? What about that tree? Did I see it on my way here? I'm scared. Really scared. I don't think being mad over not hearing a story is worth dying_.

"Mother? Father?" I call out, hoping they hear me. The woods remain silent. I don't know where I am. Where are they when I need them?

A growl suddenly appears behind me. I snap my head backwards to see what found me. A huge wolf stands right there. I'm scared stiff. I can't move, only watching this wolf come closer and closer. I can smell it's breath when it snarls in my face. Breathing suddenly becomes very hard.

I can see the moment when the wolf prepares to pounce. It's muscles coil and tighten, it's mouth drips with drool, and it's eyes narrow. _I'm sorry, Mother, Father. Forgive me for running off and dying_. I give one last whimper before closing my eyes, prepared to die.

Someone yells out a really loud sound. I squint through my lids, afraid that I would see the wolf's teeth coming at me. Instead, a warrior with a shield and a spear appear before me, standing between me and the now injured wolf. The wolf's eyes flash from hunting to fearful, before it flees. The man in front of me sighs and relaxes before turning to me and taking off his helmet.

I might have been young, but I've seen a few winters. I've seen some of the less fortunate farmers come in with an exhausted look in their eyes. I've seen them smile at their kids before pushing them to play. I've seen their faces drop and start to cry. The man in front of me, he might not have been as thin and weak as the others, but he has that exact same look in his eyes.

"What are you doing here, little one?" The man's deep baritone asks me.

"You aren't wearing a shirt." I blurt out, still shaking and unable to think properly. The man stares at me in concern from my comment over his lack of clothes instead of the wolf. He sighs.

"I see you are still shaken from that encounter. You are quite the lucky one to have been nearby while I was hunting, otherwise I'm afraid you would not be standing here. Where did you come from, little one?" He asks me again, all the while putting his hand on my shoulder to help steady me. I take a shaky breath and stare for a while, struggling to respond.

"I came from a farm. I'm not sure where. There's no stars to guide me back." I break out into tears. The man looks very uncomfortable at the sudden appearance of my tears, patting my shoulder awkwardly.

"It's all right. I can help you home. How long have you been gone?" I stare with tears and snot crawling down my face.

"The-the-the sun was *sniffle* was behind m-m-me when I got l-l-lost." I gasp out.

"Ah, I can get you back to your home. I know where it is." He says confidently. He stands up, pulling me with him. I'm struggling to stay on my feet.

"You *sniffle* you do?" I ask, feeling hopeful after thinking I was going to die.

"Yes, small one. Would you mind hanging onto me? I can get you there very quickly." I quickly grasp onto his leg. I wrap my legs around too. He gives a soft chuckle before easily breaking my grip and holding me against him.

"This is where you hang on, little one. It will not be pleasant or easy. I will try to land as carefully as possible." He cradles me firmly as the ground beneath his feet start to rattle. I tuck my head in, scared again. I felt the air suddenly flatten my hair, the pressure on my shoulders being really strong, before feeling like I was falling. I scream in fear, refusing to see where we were. The fall suddenly stopped. Everything was sore from all the pressure against my small body. I could feel the man holding me grunt and strain against whatever we landed on, and then we came to a stop.

"Open your eyes, little one." He mumbles to me. I shake my head. "It's alright now. You are safe. Look, there's your farm." I sneak a peek then widen my eyes with a gasp. He was telling the truth! There was my farm. I could see Mother and Father stare at us.

"Mother! Father!" I scream, scrambling down from the man's hold and running up to meet them. They hold me just as tightly as I hold them. Father thanks the aspects before turning to the stranger and paling.

"Thank you for bringing back my daughter. I apologize for any inconvenience she may have caused you." Father thanks the man

The man just grunts. "It was no problem. I found her in a scary spot and helped her out. I'm glad to see she is safe." He booms out before walking off. I wiggle out of Mother's grasp.

"Wait! Mister, can you tell me a story?" I call out. Mother gasps and Father shifts himself to catch me before I can run up to him. He turns and pauses for a rather long time before he responds.

"Interesting. Most people would rather run from me than meet me again. Why do you wish for a story from me?" He rumbles as he turns back to me. I take a shaky breath.

"You're an interesting person. You stand tall and proud, but you seem so unhappy. And I want to thank you for saving me." I yell back. He cocks his head.

"Most would say that a simple thank you is enough. Why do you wish for a story from me?"

"I want a story because I want to remember you better. Can I get a story of your life?" I call out. My parents are stunned at my boldness to meet a stranger again before they cut in.

"Sir, why don't you stay at the farm? We can give you a pleasant dinner and some company before you go." Mother offers. The helmeted man seems to pause before shaking his head.

"Your offer is greatly appreciated, but I am not someone you would want to be around. However, I will not deny the little one a story, especially with how brave she was regardless of her situation. I will come back to the farm in a week then to tell her my story, if you permit." The man speaks politely and directly at my parents. Their shoulders seem to collapse.

"That would be acceptable, thank you." Father calls out. The man enters the woods and disappears quickly before my eyes as Mother and Father smother me with care and worry. I can't help but just keep thinking about that man.

_Why was he so sad?_

_Hello, beautiful people! I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter! So, this is a story that's also posted elsewhere. I'm not going to make anyone search for it, so all the chapters I have posted elsewhere and getting posted here on the same day. Hope you guys enjoy it!_


	2. The Man Who Would Not Fall

The next week comes by too slowly. Mother and Father grounded me, telling off for running away. Now I'm punished with no more stories of the skies. I couldn't wait for the strange shirtless man to come back and tell me his tale. I stare into the forest every single day, hoping to see him walk out of them to tell me a story. It has me so excited I can't help but wake up at the crack of dawn to see if he came by. Sure enough, on the seventh day, he appears. I sneak out of the house as only I know how to do. I've been practicing for the past few days hoping to get out of the house quickly and without waking up my parents.

I hit the ground running and move over to where the man had just taken off his weird helmet (how does he have red eyes when the helmet is on but not when the helmet is off?) and sitting down. I wave happily and skid to a seat in front of him (we do not mention the tumble that somehow got me to sit there). I greet him quickly as well. He looks amused at my remarkable entrance before turning serious.

"Why do you want to hear my story so much, little one?" He somberly looks at me, like this is a life-changing moment. I take a small moment to think before replying.

"My entire life, my parents have told me the stories of the stars. Of the starry dragon, the twilight, the justice of the world that we can not have. I have never heard stories of people down on the earth. One day, when I was six, I asked about a set of stars called the Pantheon." He stiffens at the name. Of course I wonder about it, but I decide to let it go. I'm already in trouble for running away. There's no need to add prying to the list. "I never got the story. My parents refused to tell me, saying that Pantheon actually met my ancestor in person, and saved them, but something bad happened. I didn't understand why the Pantheon constellation is considered bad, but from what I get, my parents don't like Pantheon because of their interaction with him. Well, my ancestor's reaction. They never met the man before." I raise my head to look at him right in the face.

"I want to hear about your story because I only know a handful, the handful being my family and the village we trade with. The fact that a celestial came down to our plane, that someone met, makes me so curious about what other stories I am missing.

"I met a village boy who was telling me about his daring adventure out in the woods. His mother came over and smacked him, stating that there weren't enough stories about him for people to really remember him by. I asked why she talked about stories. She said that stories were how people were remembered, for better or worse. Stories can be scary, or bad, but they are ways to remember the soul that they are.

"I want to hear your story, so I don't just remember the man who saved me, but the kind of man he was. Maybe you had an awful history, maybe you don't, but I want to remember you for who you are, not an instance of chance." The man stares at me for a moment, speechless.

"You are remarkably perceptive at such a young age. Are you sure you wish to hear my story?" He rumbles. I nod.

"You seem to be someone worth remembering, sir, and I'd like to remember you and your story." He takes a deep breath before giving me a soft smile.

"A long time ago, long before you were born, I was growing up around Targon. I was always supposed to be a fighter, even if I wasn't the strongest or I never won a battle. No matter what, I couldn't stay down. I wanted so badly to be apart of the guards of my time that I refused to give up. It was expected of me. During the times when we trained and prepared to go into the guard, I met my brother-in-arms, a great man named Pylas" I could see a tear begin to form before he shook off the feeling. "He was impressed by how hard I fought to stay on my feet, no matter how many times we sparred. Eventually, we became part of the guard. One day, enemies of my home appeared, and took away the guard that had become family to me. All except for Pylas. My enemies harmed the guard, but the leader of my home and others refused to get rid of them. Upon hearing that, Pylas and I decided to try and get that power for ourselves.

"Do you know the Mountain your family lives beneath?" He asks me, waving his hand to Mount Targon. I nod excitedly.

"Who doesn't know Mount Targon? That dumb village boy was talking all about how he was gonna become really strong and smart and climb the mountain and be able to get bragging rights. I said I'd climb it before he did, and then Mother overheard and scolded me in front of everyone." I pout, remembering the end. The man just chuckles.

"At the peak of the Mountain, lies the powers that would help Pylas and I avenge our brothers. We climbed the mountain, though neither of us knew just how hard it was to climb. We had reached the summit, but my brother died at the peak. I alone stood before the Heavens, asking for the power to take revenge. I gained that power, but the being that chose me was none too pleased with me. I was a failure after all, and I lost myself to the being." I gasped, fearful and amazed that there really were otherworld beings that we could see if we climbed the mountain. It would be amazing to meet Myisha and Soraka and Aurelion Sol and anyone else up there!

"Time passed in visions. The being inside me was hunting for bad people, worse than the people that took my brothers away from me. It found one such bad person, but that person hurt the being badly. Since that day, the constellation that it represented was gone. I woke up finding myself beaten from the fight against the bad man. Even though I was hurting so much, I refused to stay down, and I got back up." I stare at the man before me, stunned that even when he was hurt badly, he refused to stay down. _The wolf from before was just too easy for him then!_

"Pylas's widow, Iula, helped me get better. The stars that I always gazed at, they suddenly became so much less than what they were. I had to fight, where the heavens did not.

"I did not have much time to work with this realization. The bad people who took my brothers from me, not the one that beat me badly, were going to hurt more of my people. Iula was also at risk. Turns out, the bad person that hurt me made these other bad people hurt my people."

"The other bad people don't seem so bad anymore." I interrupted. He started, apparently too lost in his own story to remember I was really there.

"What do you mean, little one?" I squirm under his gaze.

"If the bad person who beat you up beat others up, then the others are like you. There was a meanie in the village that made others be mean to the younger kids. I think the bad people that hurt your brothers were like the mean boys. They were mean because someone else was." I say quietly. He stares at me like I'm nothing he ever met.

"You are truly an amazingly perceptive child. What is your name, little one?" He asks me.

"Leilah."

"Well, Leilah, you are quite right. The bad people were suffering under the guy who hurt me. The being that took over me before was suddenly no longer important to me. The stars above us, they didn't help when we needed it most. I was very mad at the stars and the bad person who hurt me. I chose to fight the guy who beat me up, but he continued to force me down into the ground..

"No matter how many times he pushed me down-"

"You always got back up." I whisper. He smiles down at me.

"Quite right. The bad guy would not stop trying to hurt me, but I never gave up. That day, the constellation that was once gone came back. I held the being's power in my body. Finally, I stopped the bad man from hurting anyone else. Ever since then, I vowed to stop any and all those who have so much power that they can only hurt others. And that, little Leilah, is my story." He concludes. I stare at him in amazement.

"Wow" I whisper. I was asking for a story, but I never imagined that it would be this amazing!

"Excuse me sir. May I know your name? I'd be so sad to tell the story you gave me, to remember it, without a name." I weedle, hoping he gives it to me. He gives one last chuckle before putting his helmet back on.

"The story I told you was of a man named Atreus. My name is of no consequence. And thank you for listening." He ruffles my head before walking off into the woods. I turn around to see Mother holding her mouth in shock. She looks to be in tears as well.

"Mother!" I call out and run up to her, scared. What has made her so sad? She looks at him as he walks away, kneeling before me and giving me a sad little smile.

"Leilah, you don't need to ask me about the story of Pantheon. Pantheon just told you his story himself."

I am just stunned. _That man is Pantheon? The constellation in the stars? How can a man so sad be the person from the stars?_

"Sorry Mother, I really need to talk with him. Love you, I'll be right back!" I yelp as quickly as I can as I dash into the forest, trying to find Pantheon again.

"Pantheon! Pantheon! Wait! I have a question! Panthe-ACK!" I squeal as I trip over a root and faceplant right into the ground. My dress is filthy and there's mud on my face, but I scramble to my feet and continue calling out for him.

"Little Leilah, as I recall, I gave you my story." Pantheon's deep voice booms nearby. I jump and look over my shoulder. Pantheon stands before me, amused and curious.

"I just want to say thank you for saving my ancestor. I don't know where or how, but thank you." He appears to be surprised again. He walks up to me and kneels.

"You are welcome, Leilah. Now, you are dirty, and you should go back to your parents." He smiles at me sadly as he pats my head before gently pushing me into the direction of my home. I start to head back before turning around to watch him walk away. As he does, I can't help but have one thought.

_What other people out there have such amazing stories?_


	3. The Storyteller tells the First Story

Pantheon's story never left my mind over the past three years. I can still remember seeing his sadness, his pain. I remember every single word he told me that day. After that day, I begged Mother to tell me our ancestors' story of when they met him. She finally relented, telling me how her ancestors were once warriors. My ancestor was at war with the big bad man from Pantheon's story, but my ancestor was unable to do anything. They were about to be slain when Pantheon appeared, telling them that they must not stop fighting, for they would be slain no matter what. A warrior of the moment, a woman named Asose, refused to fall. Instead of giving up, she listened to Pantheon. She refused to stay down, just like Atreus, and continued to fight. Pantheon saw her courage and strength right to the very end of battle when all was won. When Pantheon found her, she no longer breathed. He grieved her death. He honoured her with a star in the constellation of Pantheon, glowing brighter than the constellation itself. With that, he once again disappeared. My ancestor, my Grandmother, then chose to become a part of the nomads, wandering Targon and eventually Shurima instead of staying with the warriors. War and battle was too much for them, so they went to find more peaceful ways. She died giving my Mother life.

The caravans were making their way back from Nashramae to Targon when my mother was almost an adult. Mother's caravan was attacked by something unknown. It was fast, so fast Mother never got a good look at it. There was only sand. Mother's caravan was so close to the mountains of Targon that they prayed that they would be safe from whatever was hunting them. My grandfather, the great leader of the caravan, suddenly halted the group. He grabbed Mother and the other children into a wagon and made that singular wagon ride off to the mountains. He took the rest of his group, the elderly and adults, into the desert again. Her wagon, thankfully, made it to the mountains. She was forced to watch as Grandfather's wagons disappeared into the sunset. A great blue fin being the only indicator in the sand that they were being chased.

Mother took the little wagon into Targon, the children crying and wailing for their parents to come home. Mother, a little more than thirteen at the time, was one of the older caretakers of the group. They continued their journey to the west, fear from the desert keeping them from going back. There, the weather and environment was so harsh that everyone was miserable and sad. Mother bursted into tears at this point. When the temperatures dropped, so did their numbers. Over time, the children found new homes and places to be. My mother was the last one left, walking after the wagon that had carried them for so long finally wore out. She had wandered aimlessly, searching for help, when she stumbled onto Father's farm.

Father had been a farmer his whole life. He told me that farming was always in his blood. When Mother was found wandering about, he helped her. It was clear that she was a nomad, and he thought she was beautiful, but even if my mother left, he would not leave his home. While Mother was deciding if she wanted to leave or not, Father took to caring for her, nursing her back to health. She became a part of his family, helping to till the fields, feed the animals, and go to the market for money and tools. She came to love living there and gave up her nomadic ways. A few years later, Father married Mother, keeping her tied to him, not that Mother minded. A few years after that, I was born. That's it. That's the story of Mother and Father and me.

They told me that story when I was ten, telling me that I was old enough to know how they came to become a family. I couldn't help but notice that they told me quite a bit of their tale, they hid a bit more from me.

" _That's the story of how your Mother and I met, my little one." Father told me, petting my head as I started to fall asleep._

" _Where did Mother's caravan go?" I asked. I could see Father turn to Mother, taking a small breath before talking._

" _Mother's caravan still looks for her and the other children from long ago." He whispers to me. Even while sleepy, I still see Mother's eyes water._

" _Where did the other children from Mother's wagon go?" I mumble. Mother bolts from my room, disturbing the sleepiness I once had. Father just sighed._

" _Mother lost the other children because they were given to different homes for them to be taken care of, little one." He tries to tell me, but that does not make sense to me._

" _Why was Mother on her own, tired and sick when you found her at the edge of home? What happened to the wagon?" I questioned. Father's shoulders are tensing._

" _Wagons break down, sweetheart." He said. I frowned._

" _You didn't answer why Mother was on her own." I note, now worried._

" _She was a child then. Like when you ran away a year ago." He glares at me slightly. I blush and duck my head._ Guess that's a fair point. Still, something was amiss.

" _Why didn't you just say that?" I ask. Father just shakes his head._

" _Enough questions, my little one. It is time to sleep. You are still growing and I need to give your Mother some comfort." He tells me before leaving. I waited for enough time for my parents to think I was asleep before sneaking out of my bed and into listening range._

" _Are you alright, my love?" Father asks Mother._

" _No, honey. I can't. I'm hearing about how my grandfather died to protect us, and how each child that I was with died in front of me! How can I be ok?" She harshly whispered to him. I softly gasped._ Why would they hide that from me?

" _I know, my love, but do you remember what the healer said? It's so much easier to think that they went to other people, and that's what we told Leilah. She thinks that your Father and the other kids are just separated. With how scary the world is out there, it's better that she feels safe here. We made a promise, my love, that we would protect her from everything that could hurt her. And that's what we will do." He softly murmured to Mother, taking her into his arms and tenderly holding her. After that, I quietly snuck back to bed, unable to sleep. All I truly know is that my parents lied to me to protect me and that I will never get to know the family Mother grew up with._

I never told my parents what I overheard. I very carefully acted the same. Inside, I had cried, feeling so sad for what Mother went through. I will admit that I became slightly bitter with my parents. I couldn't understand why they feel the need to protect me from the world. _I'm so much older than eight. I'm eleven now! I can handle the big stuff now!_ Even with my personal opinions on how my parents handle the stories they give me, I continue to be their ideal daughter.

Today, Mother is taking me to the market again. She's taking her time to buy a treat for me in the local bakery. I was standing by her side before I heard laughter. I turned my head to see quite a few kids playing around. I smile, remembering those days, but at eleven, I'm far too old to be a part of the kids games now. I watch them play when I see one of them fall down. He can't be older than eight. He just tripped. In the span of a small second, I watch the other kids mock him. They point and laugh at him. The little fallen boy is crying on the ground, not knowing how to handle this.

I ccouldn't stop myself even if I tried. With a whisper to Mother, I walk over to the little boy and gently pull him up.

"C'mon, stand up again. After all, only the greatest heroes never give up." I state loudly as I help him to his feet. He sniffles and looks at me with a little bit of fear.

"W-w-who are you?" He asks, swiping his hand across his face, trying to be a big boy. I smile.

"I'm Leilah, the little farm girl off in that direction. And you shouldn't let a little fall stop you from having fun. The great Pantheon wouldn't let that happen." I smirk when all the kids in the area gasp.

"You're lying!" The biggest little snot yells at me. I shake my head.

"I'm not." I reply as I sit down, hoping that I look as calm as Pantheon did all those years ago.

"Yes you are! Pantheon is the greatest Warrior of all time! There's no way he would loose!" The big boy yells at me. The boy by my side sniffles but looks at me curiously.

"How can I be lying? I met the man himself." I declare. All the kids instantly gasp and stay quiet. I decided to start a story for them

"Once, when I was not much older than… What's your name?" I ask the boy next to me.

"Lye." he tells me. He takes a seat next to me.

"Once, when I was not much older than Lye, I got lost in a forest not far from here. It was very, very scary. I couldn't find my way home." I enchant everyone who was playing into sitting with me, quiet as I tell my story. "And while I was scared and trying to find my way home, a giant wolf appeared!" I shout, the kids all crying out in surprise.

"That wolf would have eaten me that day, if a huge mountain of a man, easily bigger than Targon itself, saved me. He wore only a cape, a helm, and a loincloth, but he made that big bad wolf go away. He carried me and his weapons, a shield and a spear, back to my little home. He helped me quite a bit that day." Everyone's eyes widened in amazement. They grew up hearing the tales of Pantheon more than I did, though it seems like they only know of his heroics, not the person himself.

"You truly did meet Pantheon." The loudest boy who was being mean to Lye commented, quiet now.

"Yep. That's how I met Pantheon. A week later, exactly on the day, he came back. I had asked him if I could know his story, and I got to hear it. Once, before any of us even existed, according to him, he was a man called Atreus and he grew up in a small village. His village was all about being the strongest, but he was not. He was constantly knocked off his feet in mock battles, but that didn't matter to him. He never gave up. He met his brother-in-arms, Pylas that way. There were meanies trying to come into Atreus' and Pylas's home, and they both asked a more powerful person for help. When the Great Power refused to help, Atreus and Pylas climbed Mount Targon, determined to gain that power for themselves. Pylas didn't make it to the top of the mountain, but Atreus did. He asked for the power to defend his people, to be strong enough to make the meanies that hurt his village stop hurting them. The stars themselves came down to answer him, the constellation Pantheon!" I exclaim, fascinating the kids.

"Wait, Leilah, who are these people? Atreus, Pylas? They just sound like made up names!" The loudmouth interrupts. I take a deep breath.

"This is the story of Pantheon. You said it yourself, that I met Pantheon in person. Why are you doubting this now?" I ask him. I hurriedly continue on before he could be smart enough to think of another interruption.

"Pantheon didn't like Atreus. Atreus had always lost, not the quality of a warrior according to Pantheon. So Pantheon took Atreus' body offer and wandered the world to rid it of Big Bad men! Atreus wandered under the control of Pantheon for some time."

"One day, Pantheon met the biggest, baddest person. A person so bad that he made other people hurt Atreus' home. So Pantheon fought him, but the big bad man hurt the constellation Pantheon and that Pantheon never got up again." I declare as I sweep my hand across in front of me. All the other children gasped.

"That's… That's not possible. You met him" The loudmouth whispered. I nod.

"I said that the constellation Pantheon never got up again, but Atreus never stopped getting up. Atreus got his body back, and refused to be kept down! He followed the big baddie, catching up to him in the end. He then challenged the big baddie to a fight, hoping to save his family. They beat each other up, each trying to be better. The big Baddie kept knocking down Atreus." I stand up and start mimicking how I always thought the big Baddie would hurt Atreus. "But as I said before, Atreus never gave up. He stood each time he was knocked down, stronger than ever because he called on Pantheon's power. He became the Pantheon of Runeterra! And Pantheon bested the big baddie, saving everyone!" I yell with a fist pump to the sky. I turn back to the boys sitting in front of me, gasping.

"Pantheon told me that day that he was simply Pantheon. Atreus is gone, gone the day he lost his brother, Pylas. I saw how sad he was, how much he wanted to see his brother-in-arms again. But he lied to me." I declare boldly. The loudmouth looks mad!.

"There's no way he lied!" he yells at me while getting in my face.

"He definitely did!" I yell back.

"Oh yeah? How would you know?" he snaps, putting his grimy little finger on my chest. I shove him away.

"Because if Atreus died that day, he would have never become the new Pantheon. He would have given up." I turn back to Lye and hold out a hand. He hesitantly grabs it.

"Pantheon is my hero, not because of all he's done, but because he never stops pushing himself up. That's the kind of person I'd want to be. He showed me that there's nothing to be ashamed of when you fall. What matters is that you refuse to stay down. No matter what others may think, no matter what anyone else does, the most important thing is that you always get up." Lye grips my hand as I pull him firmly up.

"There you go, Lye. Now you are just like Pantheon, the Hero that Never Gave Up." I pat his shoulder before walking away. Loudmouth and the other kids are no longer looking like they want to mock him. Instead, they look amazed. _Well, they may be amazed, or maybe I just stunned them of everything they knew._ I grimace at the thought.

"Leilah!" I turn my head to see Lye come over before tackling me in a small hug. I start a bit, not expecting him to hug me. He looks at me. "I'm going to keep getting up, no matter what, because that's what heroes do! Thank you for telling me that!" He tells me. I shake my head.

"I didn't tell you anything, Lye. I gave you and your friends a story that you can learn from." I smile before gently pushing him back to his group. He trips and falls on his face again, but this time none of the other kids mock him or make fun of him. This time, instead of staying on the ground, Lye pushes himself up immediately and begins to play with the others again. I smile and turn back to Mother. As I make my way back to her, a woman walks up to me.

"Leilah, was it? That was incredibly kind of you." She whispers to me, careful not to get the children's attention. I shrug my shoulders.

"He looked sad. Whenever I'm sad, I always hear a story to feel better. Pantheon's story was all about him getting up, no matter how much he had to. I just felt like his story would help Lye feel better and make the others stop teasing him." The woman shakes her head.

"Lye is my son. He's always had difficulty staying on his feet. He trips constantly, even at home. Telling him about a man who constantly fell, but always got up, I don't think I could have helped him better than what you would have done. How can I thank you?" Lye's mother looks like she's in tears with a smile. I've seen this before on my own mother. _She thinks I just did the best thing in the world for someone she cares for, like when I made a card with sand and a sunset for Mother to remember her lost family._

"By keeping on giving Lye the encouragement he needs." I tell her before going back to Mother. I give her a small smile.

"Can we go home now, Mother? Father is probably worried about us, and I can't wait to try that treat you got me!" I pull on Mother's skirts to make my point clear. She stares at me, before giving a very soft smile.

"Of course, my little star. Let's go home." I grab Mother's hand and happily grin.

_I wonder what other stories up on the mountain can make others feel better?_


	4. New Man in Town

Ever since I helped Lye get his confidence, the kids are always asking for more stories. I've told them all the stories I knew, from the celestials in the sky to the Blue Fin in the desert of Shurima, but I quickly ran out of tales to tell. They were understandably upset, but they still asked for stories or even to play games. I don't know what changed their minds to hang out with an older, somewhat excluded preteen. Maybe that day I made a huge impression, maybe they finally got to hang out with a new kid. I don't exactly know what they were thinking. I do know that Lye works hard on always getting up, and Geras, the loudmouth brat, finally got some manners and helps Lye when he falls. _It's kinda cute seeing how Lye and Geras are almost always around each other. Once a meanie and victim, now thick as thieves._

Today, while I'm in the market (the first time I've been allowed to go on my own), I see a new face. He's just sitting on a barrel almost out of sight. With brown hair and lean muscles, this huge man draped in blue just slumps over.

Naturally, as a new face in the crowd, he attracts everyone's attention. Just as naturally, everyone is very nervous to talk with him. Not just anyone comes walking into our part of the world, especially not for a pleasant trip. More than likely, this man is looking to climb Mount Targon or escape something. _Maybe even both. Everyone who wants to climb Mount Targon wants to escape a world where they can't change anything._

Not a single soul is comfortable getting close to such a huge man. All the children are hiding behind their parents. I spot Geras standing in front of Lye, both hidden from view. _Absolutely adorable, but I need to focus. Might as well take the initiative and talk to him._ Normally, I would be as scared to talk with this man as everyone else, but a certain idol of mine has opened my mind to the possibilities.

"Hello, sir!" I chime cheerfully to the man. He jolts slightly before looking around. I can see his eyes are bloodshot and he has a bottle with him. I feel pity for him instantly. He's not the only person who has turned to a bottle to feel better. Geras' father did. I do not need to say more.

"You seem to be a little lost, sir." I state while standing in front of him. He narrows his eyes, like he can't see me well, before slumping down again. I quickly dash over to check that he is still alive. I sigh in relief seeing his chest continuing to rise and fall. Geras and Lye come over. Geras is careful to keep Lye behind him.

"What's going on, Leilah? Who is this?" Lye asks me while coming over to my side. He might be a season away from twelve years of age, but he still clings to me like a small child when he's afraid.

"Why does it matter, Lye? He's obviously not from here. And we know why he's here. Mount Targon is the only reason why anyone comes here. There's no point in learning who he is. He's just gonna die on the mountain." Geras tries to argue. I shake my head.

"Every person who comes through to Mount Targon has a story they have and a story to tell. He's still a person, and he deserves to be remembered for what he was and wants." I calmly tell Geras. He grumbles under his breath, not happy with hearing that, but he still accepts my words.

"I guess you want to bring the man to your farm?" Geras asks. I nod.

"I really don't like this, Leilah. Look at him! He's done something! Why else does he look like he's about to die? No one who looks like that can possibly be a good person!" Geras protests. I think for a moment.

"He's been drinking quite a bit, Geras. He's not in any sort of mindset to be mean or aggressive to anyone. Even while he was drunk, he didn't try anything. Besides, who says you have to be a bad person to have done something wrong? As I recall, you were not such a nice boy yourself a few years back." I argue.

"Hey, it's been four years. I've changed quite a bit, thanks to Pantheon's story." He defends himself.

"We don't know what changes he went through either." I counter.

"Back to him being drunk then." Geras snaps bitterly, hating that I reminded him of his history, "He literally just passed out. He's obviously not even close to being able to move, let alone act how he normally does. Is having him around a really good idea?" He points to the man annoyed while standing between him and me. I take a moment to think about his argument.

"He's still a man. We don't know what he's been through. Personally I would want to help someone who is mean rather than let a good man go to waste." I say calmly. Geras scoffs.

"It doesn't matter. I don't like it." He grumbles. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I understand that you've had some nightmares dealing with men and their drinks." I whisper in his ear. He flinches, one hand reaching instinctively to his stomach. He sighs.

"I just worry about you. You're kinda like the village storyteller, and like my older sister that gets my head straight." He mutters to me, too quiet for Lye to hear what he admitted. I pull away.

"How about this. We take him to the barn at my farm where he won't hurt any of the villagers. You and Lye can stay around to watch out for me. Lye's fast, and I know you can wrestle the bigger teens." I shoot him a glare. He blushes and dips his head.

"That might be ok, as long as your parents are ok with it." He mutters to me, full of that teenage invincibility. I flick his head.

"Thank you for reminding me of my overprotective parents." I groan. Geras laughs before going to get one of the men milling around. I see two men nod their heads to Geras' request. They come over and grab the drunk's shoulders before heaving him up.

After the villagers dropped the man off into our barn, I went over to my parents with Geras and Lye following me. _I do not think that I was fully prepared to face their might_.

"Let me get this straight. You brought a stranger, one that is big and strong, to our barn. You want to take care of him before he goes up Mount Targon, just so you can get his story?" Father asks me while rubbing his face.

"Um, not exactly. I want to take care of him, and Geras and Lye are here to be able to get help or help me should the need arise." I try to remind myy parents that I will not be alone, like they would ever allow me to be alone with anyone new.

"You think an eleven year old and a thirteen year old are going to be able to hold that man off?" Mother yells at me. I wince from her screeching.

"I mean, we have pitchforks and other things around the farm and in the barn if things get a little rough. Geras knows his way around a pitchfork really well." I mutter. Both of my parents groan.

"Leilah, we've always tried to be accommodating to your requests, but seriously, this goes too far. What have I done to deserve this?" Father bemoans. I feel myself getting aggravated and I stand up.

"You raised me to love hearing stories, to see more than what we have. You raised me to love the stars and legends. You also raised me in such a protective bubble, I don't know if someone is good or bad! Here is a broken shell of a man. He doesn't even look fit enough to swat a fly, let alone hurt anyone here. Just let him stay the night or until he sobers up. Then we can see what he wants and he can go his merry way. If you want to invite one of Mother's friends to keep us safe while we take care of him, by all means, go right ahead! That man needs help, and I'm not someone who would abandon a person in need!" I shout and stalk off to the barn. Geras and Lye quickly follow me after saying a quick apology to my parents.

We are silent until we close the barn doors behind us. I quickly check on the man before turning to my close friends.

"Are you sure that was a good idea, Leilah? Your parents are concerned for you." Lye whimpers while taking my arm. I shake out a sigh.

"Maybe not a good idea, but I'm tired of being coddled by their overprotectiveness. I want to see more, hear more, just... Everything more!" I exclaim. Geras nods his head.

"I mean, you are getting older. Soon you'll be finding a husband and settling your life at the farm." He comments.

"I don't want to live on this farm for my entire life! I want to explore and help more! I can't do that stuck at the bottom of a mountain that only the daring and sad want to climb." I hiss at him. Geras holds his hands up in surrender.

"Leilah, you're fifteen now. You have to think about this more carefully. Your parents do love you and are very concerned. You know that, right?" Lye whispers to me.

"I know, Lye. But I'm not my parents. I just can't stay settled on a dinky little farm like they can."

"It's starting to get late, guys. Better get some shut eye so we can wake up before the man does." I shut down any more conversation. We each grab a blanket and a pile of hay. Geras and Lye soon begin to snore softly. I don't fall asleep quickly. Instead, I watch the stars closely, hoping to see Aurelion Sol make his stars in the sky. Sleep does eventually come to me, right as I swear I see two glinting eyes.

I hear a groan before I snap awake. Geras and Lye somehow manage to get onto the same pile of hay and cuddle each other. Since both are still snoring softly, I turn my head to see that our visitor is awake and struggling to sit up. I get up and watch the man.

"Good morning." I say politely to him. He freezes before looking at me.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The man has a pleasant enough, if slightly gravelly voice from lack of water. He's slurring his words a bit. That tells me he's got quite the hangover.

"Leilah. I'll be back in a moment. I'm sure you'd like some food and water?" I ask him as I wake Geras and Lye up. Geras wakes quickly and watches the man while Lye gives a hum. I whisper to Geras to wake up Lye gently before I go to grab some water and bread for the man to eat.

"Leilah, can we talk?" Mother asks me, startling me as I thought she would still be asleep. I quickly grab what snacks I found and move to walk out again. I'm not in the mood to hear about how _they worry so much for me_.

"What do you have to talk about, Mother? The fact that I'm destined to remain in this tiny little village forever? Or that I will never see different places?" I say angrily as I leave. Mother stands in front of me..

"Leilah, we worry about you. The life of a farmer isn't a bad one. I'm afraid that you want the life of a dreamer, and that's dangerous!" Mother protests, grabbing my arm. "Don't you know how many dreamers go up that mountain? I was a dreamer once, and I lost everyone. I'm happy being here, why can't you be?" She persists. I sigh and shake off her hand.

"I want to hear more! You got to see things while you grew up. I didn't! I'm stuck here seeing men with dreams come from their homes. Men that have a past, people they must be missing. You never allow me to talk with them. Can't you see how that made me curious? What could you possibly be hiding from me? I just want to know more. That man in the barn is a chance for me to meet people, to know their story. I get to be one of the few that knows what he went through and where he went. How many others are missing those that climbed the mountain? How many miss their homes, their families? How many families are missing them?" I tell her passionately. Mother frowns and opens her mouth. I raise my hand, stopping her from saying anything as I am still not finished.

"I'm fifteen now, Mother. I've been trusted to act like an adult in the market, and how I chose to act was to care for someone in need. If you wish to fault me for that, then you have to fault Father for helping a stranger." I firmly state. Mother pales.

"That's not fair. I was younger then" She whispers. I shrug.

"We don't know how old this person is. We assume he's a man, he could be a boy for all we know. I will not sit by and watch when I could help someone." I step away and out the door.

"When did you start to be so against what we do for you?" I hear my Mother whimper behind me. I choose to stay silent.

_When I could only dream of what else there is and know that you would never want me to see them._


	5. First Story from Beyond

"You do not need to give me this kindness, for I have most definitely earned my punishment." The man in front of us murmurs as he finishes the last of the scraps. I shrug.

"I'm not about to let a sad and sickly man be left alone, no matter what he's done." I shrug off. Geras sits on the hay he slept on, staring at the man intently. Lye sits next to me, leaning into my side. He hugs my arms, still slightly scared of the man. I don't fault him. He is a rather large and daunting man.

"I am not sad or sickly." He protests. I raise an eyebrow in amusement.

"A man so drunk that he passes out while sitting alone in the cold is sad. A man who passes out from alcohol is sick. Therefore, you are sad and sickly." I reason out. He stares at me before he gives a chuckle and shakes his head.

"I was a Vice Captain, child. Sickness and sadness are not easy for me to be." He stares me down. I raise an eyebrow and stare right back.

"You claimed you WERE a Vice Captain. You are not anymore, and you are at the base of the most challenging mountain for mankind to climb. You are desperate. You are sad and sickly." I state firmly. I can feel Geras rolling his eyes from our argument.

"No matter what I am now, as I was a vice captain, I cannot be sad or sickly." the man actually crosses his arms just to maintain his position. I snort.

"What a strong man you must be to be fighting a fifteen year old over how not sad and sick you are. I'm assuming that your strong enough to stand without assistance then?" I challenge his. He snorts and proceeds to attempt to stand. He makes it up to his knees before he groans and topples back to a seat.

"Ok, I may be slightly hungover, but that does not mean I am sickly."

"So, does that make you sad?" I interject quickly. The man is silent for a moment.

"You are quite a perceptive one, aren't you?" He finally acquiesces that I have the more stable mind between us.

"I've gotten that a lot over the years." I comment. I can feel Lye relax now that the man isn't quite so domineering.

"Are you kidding me? She's our resident storyteller. She's the one who holds everyone's story and tells it to others in a need. Somehow, she used the time when I used to be mean to Lye into a lesson and a way to teach the younger kids of the village to be nice. Go figure." Geras snorts. Lye leans over and punches his leg.

"I thought we agreed that we wouldn't use names." Lye mutters to him. Geras pushes Lye away. Then Lye decides to start a scuffle with Geras and they both go down to rough house behind me. I sigh.

"Geras and Lye are my good friends. Geras is the more outspoken one, Lye is the more reserved one." I formally introduce them to the man. He gestures to me.

"My name is Leilah. You live in my barn. I don't suppose I can get your name, Mister?" I ask pointedly. He takes a moment to think. Apparently, he decides that I could know his name.

"I'm Taric." He holds out his hand as he finally gives me a name. I reach out to shake.

"Pleasure. So," I take my hand back, "What brought you to the mountain?" He stiffens before covering his face again.

"It's a bit of a tough subject for me. Thank you for your help, but I must be off." Taric redirects and attempts to walk away and leave.

"You think that that is enough to satisfy my curiosity, Taric?" I ask as I stand up in front of him. He struggles to focus his eyes on my small form, but he does manage it in the end.

"You do not need to know it, Leilah." he tries to push me out of the way. I give him a gentle push and he falls down.

"Perhaps not yet, but you are in no condition to actually climb the mountain." I stand firmly above him. He groans before looking up at me.

"Yet?" He looks so adorably confused I smirk and lean over him.

"I'm the resident storyteller, remember? I hear everything. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the story of the other travelers that climbed the mountain, but I'll be damned if I let such and interesting individual get away. Want some more food?" I ask him politely while straightening out. He stares at my complete 180.

"Uh, yes?" he asks warily. I smile.

"I'm afraid that you wil have to work for it. You can start by getting my two ruffian friends to stop fighting." I speak up louder. I hear Geras and Lye stop fighting. I turn to see them looking sheepishly at me

"Sorry, Leilah." They chorus. I smile and nod my head.

"Much better." I turn back to Taric.

"You run a tight ship." He comments to me while gesturing to the boys behind me. I frown.

"What's a ship?" I ask him. He stares at me in shock.

"How do you not know what a ship is?" He whispers to himself. I hear is and shrug my shoulders.

"The same way you probably don't know how to farm." I counter. He huffs.

"I do know how to farm, thank you. I'll have you know that regardless of what my duties were, I learned all I could about various jobs like farming or blacksmithing." He puffs out his chest as he defends himself. I smirk.

"Good to hear. Maybe you can help me with my chores then!" I chirp cheerfully before walking out. Taric is silent for a moment before he follows me. Geras and Lye snicker as they too come out to help with chores.

Midday comes around. The longer Taric was helping out on the farm, the more relaxed and content he became. Watering the Ibik? He smiled as he pet them. Getting eggs from our chick-hens? I've never seen them be so calm. Taric took their eggs without any of them noticing. He helped ( _More like did)_ my chore of watering the plants to get our grain. He even helped plant seeds. I've never seen a farmer so attentive or good at this stuff as he was.

"Wow, Mr. Taric. You really have worked on a farm!" I exclaim. He waves my compliment off.

"Just Taric. No Mister please. I can't be much older than you." He blushes. I persist.

"I have never seen any other farmer manage to get their chores done in the span of time you did. I would have been at it until at least the sun started to set. How did you manage to do it so quickly?" I beg him. He chuckles at me.

"It's nothing. The farmers of Demacia taught me how. I just kept up my skills." He humbly replies.

"So you grew up in Demacia? Where is that?" I grab at the little scrap of information he gave. He immediately tenses up.

"Demacia is far to the North, Leilah." He hesitantly tells me. I frown.

"For someone who grew up in Demacia and was a Vice captain of the region-"

"City." Taric interrupts. I stare at him.

"What's a city?" I ask confused. He stares right back at me.

"How do you not know what a city is?"

"Look around, Taric. I lived on a farm and travel to a village. I don't even know what a town is!" I exclaim. I can see Taric realize what I mean before sitting down before me. Since all my chores are done, I eagerly sit down with him.

"A city is a place where so many people live together. There are many businesses and merchants trying to sell you their wares. There's a huge palace-" He glances over at me to see if I know what a palace is. I give an awkward smile. "A huge house with so many big rooms and long hallways where many people who control the region live. Then there are mansions, smaller than Palaces but bigger than houses, that people who are less important than the king live. Many people who are not rich or powerful enough to live in a Palace or a mansion tend to be common people, a little bit more advanced than your farm here." He explains. I glare at him.

"And what does advanced mean? I'll have you know I finally set up that irrigation system last summer with my Father." I protest. Taric just smiles at me.

"Ah, Demacia learned those systems long ago. Now we have cattle and herds of them to give us meat every day." He declares passionately. I stare at him in shock.

"Meat everyday? We're lucky to get meat when one of the hunters can find one! Well, we are even luckier if the bolor don't steal our tamu, but still, meat every day? That's amazing! Where is Demacia?" I ramble before looking at him expectantly. He sighs.

"It's far away. It's a beautiful place, one that I hope I get to see again." I frown for a moment before taking pulling to the woods. "Where are you taking me?" He asks. I smile.

"Trust me."

Once, I was lost in this place. The wolf that hunted me has been gone for a while, but I can still remember the exact spot I was found by Pantheon.

"Sit down, Taric." He looks at me confused before he complies with my request. I sit down next to him.

"You are sitting on the very log that a great wolf once hunted from." I declare. He looks confused.

"Why would I want to know about this?" asks me. I give a small smile.

"Because this was the place where if a man hadn't come to my rescue, the wolf would've hunted me." I whisper. He turned his head to stare at me. "A great man, born Atreus, reborn from Mount Targon as Pantheon, saved me." I calmly tell him before telling the story of the greatest man I have ever known. How the man grew up weak but refused to stay down. How the Aspects at the top of the mountain disliked his weakness and controlled him. How the god fell but the man never stopped getting to his feet. How the man grieved for his lost peace.

Taric is silent for a bit when I finished.

"Why are you telling me this?" He finally asks me. I take in a breath.

"You said I was perceptive. Don't you think I would have picked up on the fact that you are sad from being sent away from your home?" I ask him. He takes a sharp inhale.

"How can you know that?" He stammers.

"You speak of Demacia so fondly, but you are also in so much pain. You never speak of the city in hatred, so what happened in Demacia was justified. Demacia hurts you, yet you don't hate it. You also miss Demacia because you don't like to talk about it much., yet you speak so fondly of the city. You also mentioned that you deserved your punishment. Mount Targon is a challenge for you to redeem yourself? I'm not sure."

"You aren't the only one with a blue cape that has come down to Mount Targon. A few came here, claiming that they need to redeem themselves. I don't know where they came from, but maybe they are from Demacia? Something about a crown of stone?" I see Taric jump from that.

"Do you know who they were? Have you seen them again?" He asks me quickly. I shake my head sadly.

"I was never allowed to meet with them, but I have not seen a single soul that climbed the mountain come back down. I can't tell you who went up either." He slumps down, saddened. I reach out and touch his hand. "I'm sorry, Taric. This is why I'd love to know your story from the Great City of Demacia. It's so I can help others that come after you to see that one of their people has come and climbed and attempted." I try to comfort him. He looks up at me in concern.

"Don't you wish to travel the world? To see Demacia and every other place in the world? I've seen the Freljord. While chilly and white, it was beautiful to see. Don't you want to see the world?" Taric asked me. I give a sigh.

"Once I did. Now, I know my future will be a part of a farm. Always farming and watching people come and climb to Targon. I don't get to see everything. I'm just someone who hears stories and remembers those who feel lost so I can help others find their way. At least, that's how I think of Pantheon. His story is practically told every single time I go to the market. Pantheon is so sad and lonely. The next time I see him, I want to give him some bread from the hearth. I think he'd like that, to be remembered as a man and not an icon." I softly tell him before shaking my head. "I know you've only been here for a morning, but maybe you can tell me your story?" I ask playfully. Taric chuckles at me.

"You are certainly an interesting individual. Very well, Storyteller, I'd be honored to tell you my story." He makes a huge grand gesture. I give a soft laugh before settling down to listen to him.

"I was born to a family of military fighters. We were commanders, captains, Generals, we filled many ranks since Demacia was born. In Demacia, we are proud to be of one nation, a nation against magic, since magic could corrupt and bypass our laws.

"I grew up wanting to help and protect my people. My parents were proud that I continued the family line. They were not proud of how I spent my time. Instead of constantly training and calling out Demacia's name, I chose to help out around the kingdom. A blacksmith struggling to finish orders? I would help. A farmer trying to get his eggs from his hens? I was there. I helped stonemasons raise statues of our founder and protector. No job was too small for me, no one was declined help." Taric stated, clearly proud of the work he had been a part of before he left.

"I had a good friend in the City, a man named Garen. We trained together, fought together, and rose through the ranks together. One day, I was given the title of Vice Captain. Vice Captain is quite a bit of work, and I found myself having to choose between the people and my soldiers. I couldn't choose between them. To me, they all deserved to have help."

"My loftiness caused me to get assigned to another captain, a sword-captain, in order to keep my wandering habits from appearing. I tried so hard, I really did, to be a good Vice Captain to my soldiers, but in the end, I failed. The one time they needed my help, was the one time I failed." He starts to cry. I couldn't help but try to reach my tiny little arms around his shoulders to give him some comfort.

"When I was walking through some ruins, my entire squad was killed." He sobs. "I was late to come back, and that killed my friends. My sword had an arrow through his chest, blood down his face. My comrades were left where they fell. All of them were gone." He breathes out, struggling to stay calm. I hug him and wait for him to calm down. It took some time, but he started to take shaky but clearer breaths.

"I was found and tried for their deaths. In Demacia, what I committed was treason. My fate was to die by the hands of an executioner." He cracks out. I gasp. _A man who was so kind and helpful to everyone was to be killed? What kind of laws made that happen?_

"I'm so sorry, Taric." I whisper while trying to give him comfort. He leans into me slightly before sitting up straight once again.

"I was saved by my friend. He saw my value as a warrior, and so he wanted to give me a chance. The Crown of Stones is a sentence the exiles Demacian Disgracers until they have earned their place back into the City through facing the toughest challenge imaginable. Mount Targon." He whispers, drained from remembering his friend's death while it was still so fresh. I swallow.

"Why come to Targon then? It sounds like you could have left if you truly wanted to." I ask him softly. He scoffs.

"I failed my people once because I was not there when they needed me. I will not fail them again by abandoning them." He tries to declare in his strongest voice. He's still sad, so his attempt looks to me like a Ibik calf trying to be big. We stay there for a while, each of us absorbing what happened to him.

"You might have failed them once, but you aren't failing them right now." I break the silence. Taric snaps his head to me. I repeat myself.

"You aren't failing them now. You could have become an exile. You clearly know how to handle yourself, and you can work anywhere from when you helped your people. You didn't though. You came to Targon, and you will climb the mountain, and you have that chance to go home. Maybe you will. I think you can." I declare while I stand up. I reach down to grab his hand and pull him up. With how big he is, he… Doesn't move an inch. He just watches me while I struggle to pull him up.

Finally, the big lug decides to move. He doesn't stand though. He kneels before me. I mildly freak out as I have never had someone kneel before me with such a determined face.

"Leilah, you truly are a good friend. I'd be honored if you remember my story for a long time. I'm glad I told you my story now, and I will come back one day to thank you for listening and helping me." He states solemnly. I blink.

"Um… uh… I'd do that for anyone who looked so sad?" I stammer. _I really don't know what I'm doing. How do I reply? What?_

"One day, I shall repay your kindness." He finishes with a bow of his head on the top of my hand. I stand there for a moment before breaking this solemn silence.

"Sooooo, We've been gone for a long time. Wanna just head back to the farm? I think my parents might be freaking." I try to lighten the mood before grimacing. _Definitely freaking._

"Where have you been? Did he hurt you? I'll murder the bastard! Oh, my babby, are you sure you're alright?" My parents frantically check me. When I was eight, I would accept it. I'm fifteen now. I don't need coddling.

"Leave me alone." I snap at them while shoving them off. Taric kneels before my parents. Finally, the panicky adults calm down.

"I apologize for the long time we were in the forest. Your daughter is a truly amazing individual, and I would not dare allow harm to come to her head." He speaks nobly. My parents are kinda stunned from hearing them being referred to so well.

"Um… well… Since she seems to be safe, I guess it's ok?" Father struggles to work with his formality like I do. I snicker. Mother taps my head.

"Might I stay until I have recovered my strength? I have some farming experience." Taric offers. My parents look unsure, but I step in.

"I would love it if you could help us fix our irrigation system. Some of the plants aren't doing so well." I request sweetly.

The rest of the short day we had left, Taric fixed the machine and also our roof. My parents relented and allowed him to stay in the barn for the next few days. Each day, Taric felt better and stronger until the day he left.

"Good bye, Taric." I whisper in his ear while I hug him. He hugs me back tightly.

"Good bye, storyteller Leilah. I shan't forget your kindness and stories." He whispers back to me. I wave and give him a soft smile before turning back to the farm.

_I wonder who else will be climbing the mountain? What stories can I get from them?_


	6. A Visitor at Twilight

It's been a month since Taric left to climb Targon, and a month since my parents grounded me for helping him out. I haven't been to the market to see Geras and Lye as part of my punishment. I tried to argue to let my friends come, but as I am being punished for bringing home a stranger that could kill me and 'almost hurting Geras and Lye', I am grounded. _Annoying._ Every day is the same thing over and over again. Water the plants. Feed the ibiks. Collect the hay. Check the fence. Sit in my room until dinner time. For a whole month. _How aggravating!_ I miss Taric quite a bit. While he was helping me with my chores, he showed me some skills to better take care of the crops. I'm happy to say that they worked. We have almost a half bit more crops with my new learned skills. Each day, I wonder how Taric is doing on the mountain. _Will he be ok? Will he make it to the top? Would he remember me?_ Being locked in with nothing new to do makes my days very boring.

"HELLO!" A teenage voice squeals in my ear. I squeal myself, trying to stay quiet as it is almost twilight. I gasp, struggling to breath as this lanky teenage glowy girl laughs in my face. I quickly and quietly shush her as my parents are asleep.

"Hi, I'm Zoe. What's your name?" She yells in my face. I keep trying to shush her.

"I'm Leilah. Can you please keep it down?" I whisper plead to her as she is remarkably loud. Normally, I wouldn't worry since my parents snore, but I think she's somehow even louder than them.

"Aww, where's the fun in that? That sounds boring!" She chirps when she … _swims in the air?_ "I gotta better idea. Let's go have fun!" She squeals and plays with a… space octopus? _This one is a weird one. And still way too loud._

"Hush please! I'm still grounded!" I try to quiet her once more. I dash to my door to hear if my parents are still asleep. I sigh in relief when I hear their snoring. I turn around and glare at the girl.

"You could have gotten me in even more trouble than I already am!" I snap at her. Zoe just laughs.

"You're way too uptight. Relax a bit!" She floats around my head. I huff, deciding to play along.

"You're right, Zoe. I guess I am too uptight. Enjoying yourself?" I ask as sweetly as I could. Zoe looks at me in glee before spiraling up.

"That's the spirit! I like you! Wanna be my friend?" She rapidly fires before stopping an inch from my face. I will admit that her purple and blue eyes being that close is not comfortable, but if it'll keep her calm, I'll agree.

"Yeah, def!" I try her unusual lingo. _It feels weird._ She gleefully dives into a… portal on the ground? She disappears for a moment before coming back.

"That's amazing! Hahahaha! No one's ever stuck around since I got these powers! It's so cool! I can finally deliver a message! Ha ha ha!" She giggles gleefully. I blink.

"Wait wait wait. A message?" I try to understand. She gives me a grin.

"Well, I have a general message, but there's a specified one for you. You've impressed someone for sure. Someone waaaaaay up there wants to meet you!" She squeals. _Does she do anything other than giggle and squeal?_ Suddenly, my door starts to bang.

"Leilah?" Father calls to me. I gulp. _Uh oh. I'm in trouble._ "Who's there?"

"Um, uh, it's a new friend. Her name's Zoe?" I call back. Father rips open my door and glares at Zoe.

"How dare you sneak into my daughter's room! You will leave now. I'm gonna call your-" Father begins to rant and stomp until Zoe yawns. Father sputters from her disrespect while Mother watches from the door.

"Wow, no wonder why you were stressed. WIth people like these in your life, you gonna be booooorinnnng." Zoe rolls her eyes. My family stares at her in shock. "Anyway, I got a message for her and just her, sooooo night night!" Zoe calls out before making a bubble. She tosses it to Mother in the doorway. Mother tries to dodge, but when the bubble pops, it hits her. She immediately drops to the floor.

"Mother!" I yelp. Father is already turning to fight Zoe when she throws another bubble into his face. He too falls to the floor. I run over to him and check if he is ok. Zoe scoffs.

"I know I'm eccentric, but I'm not gonna kill anyone. All they are doing is sleeping. Promise. Now, wanna hear the messages or not?" Zoe demands. I blink before nodding. "Good! First message. There's something big acoming. Not sure what, but it's huge and mean! And I've seen alot of huge and mean things. Second, someone at the top of the mountain wants ta meet you!" She chirps while swimming around me. I frown.

"What do you mean someone at the top wants to meet me? I'm a nobody." I ask, feeling very confused. She gives a little huff.

"Well, the grumps in the stars don't like me very much. Nah, there's a little Aspect that thinks you're perfect and asked me to tell you on the condition that we get to play together the entire time you are climbing. She also agreed that she would try and get Space Doggy to play with me. She's not hated like the others, but she also isn't a big deal, so I dunno how she's gonna get it. Anyway, you gotta get your stuff. Lots for cold places, lots for hot places, stuff like that." She chirps. I glance down at my pajamas before sighing. I get the feeling that Zoe is not a patient one.

"How much time do I have?" I ask, worn from being kept up later than I usually am and my fear for my parents.

"Not much. I mean, you are chosen to climb. That's almost as weird as how I was chosen!" She blurts out. She flies around playing with her hair while I pack a bag for hot and cold like she said.

"How were you chosen?" I decide to try to stall her from just taking me to where I need to climb before I'm ready. She twirls into a standing position.

"Me? Well one day I was being troublesome, love the word, and ran up to the side of a cliff. All of a sudden, six items appeared, six! I don't remember the other five, but one was a ball. I threw the ball for a game and suddenly, poof! I'm floaty and my hair changes color and I'm seeing the universe! Climbed the mountain, got to meet people, blah blah blah. You ready now?" Zoe finally stops rambling. I just managed to grab a black scarf that my parents gave to me before turning to Zoe.

"All I need to do is say bye to my parents." I say sadly.

"Ah, don't worry your head off! You'll be back before they wake up! Perks of Targon, time freezes outside. Well, you can get back to your time if the mountain likes you enough. Well, I'm lying. Time's gonna pass. As my new bestie, if you climb the mountain, I'll drop you back to when your parents wake up. Cool?" Zoe fires out.

"I'd still like to say-" I start before Zoe grabs my wrist.

"Cool! Hold on!" She yells before pulling me into a portal at her feet. I go in screaming, feeling like I'm being squeezed in a small tube. Before I know it, I'm thrown into snow. I barely manage to turn my head back to Zoe before seeing her hair disappear with a pop. Shakily, I stand up and look to see where I am.

I am truly at the base of the mountain. I'm freezing. I quickly reach into my bag to throw on my fluffy jacket Mother made from Ibik. I stare up to the top.

_It's so far away. What have I gotten myself into?_


	7. The Start of her Trial

_Who wants me to climb the mountain? Is teleporting me up most of the mountain allowed? What is happening? And it's really, really cold._ It's only through my constant thinking that I am able to push myself through a ferocious blizzard. I've been walking through it for the past 3 days. I saw that I was walking into it, but it was the only way up. _Zoe, I really hope that you didn't drop me off up here just to kill me._

The ibik clothes are barely keeping me warm enough. I've run out of food so long ago. My stomach finally starts to go silent, but I can feel my hunger start to truly hurt. It's been a week since Zoe pulled me onto the mountain, and every single day I mentally rant and curse her and the mysterious Aspect who asks for me. I decided I do not like the Aspect's methods, regardless of how nice an Aspect they are, or how unimportant they are. I'm being forced to climb the mountain before I am ready. I think Zoe brought me more towards the top of the mountain in retrospect. Guess her desire to play with Space Doggy was too much to wait a moment for me to prepare myself fully. Though I don't know why I was left at the top. _Right now, not caring. Just get through the storm._ I remind myself of what I will be getting back to.

My farm is at the base of the mountain. Zoe dropped me off in seriously snowy conditions. I don't remember the rest of the mountain being so snowy. And now I'm stuck in a really bad spot. I'm starving. I have never learned how to hunt, just forage. Where I am on Targon, there's no trees where I can forage for plants, just snow. The snow does little to ease my stomach pains, but it keeps me alive. Even if I'm shivering for it.

_Oh, that's nice. I'm not shivering anymore. I can barely feel my feet. Where's the next cave system?_ I'm struggling to keep my priorities in check. The blizzard is just so cold. I'm struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other. My vision is swimming. My scarf whips around in my face, smacking me. I can only tell it's smacking me because my vision of mostly dark white becomes black. _A nap would be nice. I'd love to have a little nap. The snow looks comfy over here…_ I topple for a moment before I get my balance and continue to take shaky steps. Each step is less steady than the next.

I hear a whisper on the wind. A howl of the wolf. My blood pounds from hearing the wolf cry. I remember when the wolf attacked me from before. I don't need another attack. I struggle to keep moving faster. The howl sounds gleeful, pleased that I'm running. I start to barely hear footsteps with the wolf. I whimper and struggle to keep going before I fall over, unable to take another step. I feel so cold. _Maybe it's a good thing that I'm on the ground. Maybe I can sleep well for the first time in a long time._

I hear Mother and Father calling out for me. I shake my head to rid myself of the exhaustion. _That's right. Mother. Father. Geras. Lye. The villagers. They all need me. I can't let them down._ I force my frozen hands onto the ground and push up to my hands and knees. I hear the howls get louder and louder. I still refuse to give up. I struggle to crawl up the mountain. The snow continues to blast my face. It's so cold. I just want a break. _I can't stop. Not now. Not when there is more to see. Not when everyone I know and love are waiting for me. I have. To keep. Going!_ I hoarsely scream with exertion.

I collapse after screaming. _No. No, this can't be the end. I have to keep going. I have… To get…Up…_

I slowly awaken. There's no snow in my face. My clothes are dry. I can feel my skin. _I'm in a cave. I don't remember making it to the cave. I remember falling asleep in the cold. I shouldn't be awake. I should be dead!_ I gasp and do my best to bolt up.

I just sit there, warming myself up from the lovely fire. There's still a strong ache in my stomach, but at least I'm warm. The blizzard is still going strong outside. It's dark out. I shift away from the entrance of the cave and as close as I dare to the fire. I see a clawed hand on the stick. It's black and scaly. I shrink away from it, but my stomach hurts too much for me to really move around well. I moan as I sink back down to the ground. The claw just smells so good. I desperately want a bit of it, just something to eat. I want to cry, but I'm too tired to. I don't even know if I could cry.

"You are almost above the blizzard portion, child." A deep voice calls from the cave entrance. I see a person covered in snow walk in. "I found you in the snow yesterday. You can't be more than a teenager. What are you doing out here?" he reprimands me. He carries a bit of meat in his hands. I stare at it longingly. _I'm so hungry. Can I just have a little bit of food?_ "Child?" The man asks me again. I tear my gaze away from the meat in his hand and open my mouth only to croak. I cough and tuck into the blankets I'm in for a moment. I can't shiver. I'm just too weak. The man comes over and checks my temperature.

"Solarus above, kid, you're freezing! Here." He exclaims before pulling me even closer to the fire. He grabs the claw on the stick. He pulls off some meat and offers it to me. I snatch it and quickly swallow. I can barely chew from how hungry I feel. It burns in my hand and my mouth, but I'm just too hungry to care. "Woah, kid. Calm down. The food's going nowhere. When did you last eat?" The man prods while he holds the food hostage. Even that little bit of food is enough to give me some life.

"Sorry." I rasp out. I cough from the attempt. The burn in my throat makes itself known and I grimace. I struggle to move even closer, but the man will not let me.

"Any closer and you're gonna get burned." He tells me. I cough even more and relax into the blankets. We are silent for a moment while we eat his bounty. I'm a little more careful of being burned now. I notice that the man hands me more of the meat than he eats. I feel bad, but I just can't stop eating. I'm just too hungry. Once the meat is completely gone, I finally start to shiver. I sigh in mild relief before trying to settle deeper into the blanket.

"Alright kid. Seems to me like it's been a while since you ate. What you doing on the mountain?" He interrupts my snuggling. I struggle with my sore throat for a bit before replying.

"I've been summoned." I rasp then wheeze and hack up a lung, unable to hold a real conversation yet. The man raises his eyebrows.

"Summoned? Kid that's not how it works. Only the brave or the idiots make the climb. You should know that." He scolds.

"I do." I tell him. He shakes his head.

"Then you should know that summoning doesn't work. Go home kid." He tells me. I groan and shake my head.

"Can't." I cough out. He pats my back before letting it go.

"Rest, kid." He tells me. I sink back into my deep slumber. This time knowing that I'll be alive when I wake up.

I open my eyes to the blizzard still blowing. It's daylight out. I look around to see if the man is anywhere near me. _He's gone. Great. The one person who gave me some help and a place to sleep and recover before climbing even more is officially gone. Lovely._ I pause for a moment, noticing how I am thinking. _My thoughts are turning more and more sarcastic the longer I climb._ I move to leave the cave, wrapped up in my newly dried and warmed ibik clothes and ready to keep moving when I hear a foot step. I freeze right before the cave entrance. It's heavy, loud, and it scares me. The footsteps continue to fall until they stop right outside my cave. I warily look out before quickly hiding back into the cave. I clamp my hands over my mouth and freeze in terror.

Outside is a massive creature. It's shiny. It's big. It's black. I swear there's fire in its mouth. It lets out an extremely loud screech. I try my best to cover my ears to keep my hearing. It doesn't work out the best, but it's the effort that counts. At least that's what I tell myself. I struggle to keep quiet. The creature makes a very uncomfortable sound, like nails on woods, as it walks. I stay extremely still when the thing finds the entrance to my cave. I struggle to control my tremors. I glance at it's so-called mouth and struggle to stay calm when I see some familiar clothes dangling in it's teeth. Those clothes belonged to the man that helped me. It ate him! _And it can definitely eat me._

_Please no, please please please stay away. Please don't see me. Please just go away._ I mentally panic while staring into this thing's mouth. After what feels like forever, it finally moves off, creaking and groaning as it goes away. I slide down to my butt and start to silently sob. I'm just so scared right now.

_I want to go home. Why did I get pulled into this crazy world of nightmares? I just want to leave. I'm so scared. When can I get out of here?_ I couldn't stop sobbing. It was just too much for a fifteen, I don't even know how many days I've been here. I think a few days, but I feel like so much has come through. I'm tired and scared and sad and I just can't move. I want to go home.

There's a lowly growl outside the door. I freeze before looking back at the entrance. The fire thing that walked away? Yeah, no. It didn't walk away. And now I'm staring into this thing's face. It creaks and rumbles as it rears up. I see it's mouth start to glow before I dash forward.

I could not have timed that any better than when I did. While the cave was incinerated. I dive underneath the stream of fire and dash under the thing's head. I'm in the blizzard again, but I'm hoping this thing didn't detect me as I dived under it.

Eventually it stops breathing fire. I stare in despair as my cave is just a crater on the mountain. My pack was in there. Everything is gone. _Well, not everything. THAT THING IS STILL ABOVE ME!_

Remembering that I am currently under a massive fire breathing monster, I struggle to find a good spot before just deciding to dive into the snow. I quickly crawl up to peak out. I'm very careful to make sure my head is still covered in snow. I watch this thing and make sure it wanders off. It groans loudly, cranking as it searches the area. I freeze, not even daring to breathe when this thing looks underneath itself.

It finally decides that I died in the cave. I watch it leave agin. Only this time, I don't break down. I can't. I still have my family and friends to see before I can die. I still have a mind to yell at the Aspect that is calling for me to climb. I'm mad. It's a long time before I move again. Even then, I don't move when I hear more footsteps. _I am not seen. Don't find me. I want to live._

A white snout comes sniffing into my face. Unlike the last great face, this one is small and reminds me of some goats. It snorts in my face before growling to something. Moments later, a purple face with horns comes into view.

"Hi there!" A female greets. I blink before hauling my butt out of the snow. With how much snow I dived into, I struggle to get out. She helps pull me out. The little goat faced winged creature trots around us. I rest my hands on my knees as I struggle to keep myself calm. "Whatcha doing hiding in the snow?" The purple girl asks.

"I was just hiding from this massive silver black firebreather. Only place I could find." I confess, shaking once again. She winces.

"Seems like you met a Firebrand. Not the easiest thing to survive. I'm surprised you survived. I would have never thought of hiding under the snow! That's really clever. Though, it could have been really dumb too. You're really lucky." She rambles on. The little creature spreads its wings and bleats at the girl. "Oh right. Where are you off to?" She asks me while she picks up the little guy and puts him in a pack she carries.

"Someone at the top of the mountain asked me to come to the top. I was summoned. And promptly teleported to almost the top courtesy of a portal jumping teenage maniac." I explain dully. She opens her eyes widely.

"Wow. I've never heard of someone bypassing most of the mountain to just finish at the top! You gotta be extremely important!" She exclaims. The little thing in her pack bleats in agreement. I wave my hands and shake my head no.

"You have the wrong idea. I'm just a little girl that lives on a farm and just listens to stories. I'm just a storyteller. I'm not that important." I deflect. I'm really not that special. I just want to go back to what I knew.

"Well, whatever you say. Hey, you wanna help me out? I'm taking this little guy to the top of Targon to bring him back to his family.." She gestures to the thing. It bleat like it agrees. "I could use the company." She offers. I nod my head.

"Sure. I've been alone for so long, I'd love some company." We smile as we continue to climb through the blizzard. I learn that she's a shepherd of the little guy she calls a stellacorn. It's an adorable little thing. It's super friendly. I love playing with it.

We talk about where we came from. I tear up when I tell her of my family and my two best friends. I really do miss them. She comforts me as we continue to climb. Another day passes by before we reach the edge. I actually fell down and kissed the snow beneath me, just ecstatic that I am out of the snow.

"Hey, look down." My friend tells me. I look back from where we were climbing. I gasp in shock. _We're above the clouds! I never thought that there was anything above the clouds._ I blink.

"...Was the blizzard that we came through really the clouds?" I demand. She laughs and nods. The little stellacorn hops out of her pack and walks with us while we continue to climb in silence. It's beautiful in a rather icy way. I get chills from seeing it all. _Well, this is certainly a story to remember. I can't wait to tell Geras and Lye. Maybe even Pantheon if I ever see him again!_

"Whatcha thinking?" My friend asks me. I look towards her before smiling.

"I'm thinking about what a story this would be for my friends to hear about. It's certainly more than I ever expected to see." I tell her. I smile before it drops.

_Will I even get the chance to see them again?_


	8. Anger and Fear

The shepherd girl and I continue to climb up the mountain. She's a good conversationalist. She tells me so many stories about every stellacorn she's helped bring up the mountain. One was super shaky when they landed. Apparently, the little guy got up, fell down, got up again, and crumpled down. He whined about it and it was, apparently, very adorable. The shepherd girl had just absolutely adored the little one. I can see what she means, looking at the little stellacorn that travels with us. He's super excitable. He flutters his little wings and tries to fly every now and then. He brays and snorts whenever we tease him about how cute he is.

"Well, do you think he'll get all the attention?" I ask my friend. She giggles.

"Of course! He's the smallest one I've brought up. And the cutest!" She squeals. The little stellacorn bleats out his protest while shaking his head. We both laugh.

"Oh, it's been a long time since I laughed like that with friends!" I gasp out. I quit quickly. She notices my mood and quiets down as well. "I miss my friends." I whisper.

"What were they like?" She asks me after a moment. I look up to the stars and point out my favorite constellation to switch the conversation. It just hurts too much to talk about them right now.

"See that constellation? That is the constellation of the man I look up to the most. Pantheon. He made me feel special." I tell her. She bites her lips.

"Leilah, you know Pantheon is dead, right?" She murmurs gently to me. I look at her in amazement.

"Pantheon the man isn't. How do you not know that?" I demand. She shrugs her shoulders.

"I bring the stellacorns up the mountain. I don't meet many people. In fact you're a bit off your course coming with me. I've never encountered a person going to meet the Aspects this way. These little guys are amazing, straight from the stars themselves. They are to be protected."

"Oh. Uh, thank you?" I feel very confused about how she wants me to respond.

"I was just thinking, why are you still with me? It's to see the Aspects, right?" She asks me. I nod. "That's what's bothering me. I doubt the mountain would let anyone who would hurt the stellacorns go with the little guy and me."

"The mountain's sentient?" I gasp and squeak. _That's just great. They get to see me at my weakest. What else can this mountain throw at me?_

"The mountain isn't exactly sentient. It's more of a testing ground for a person to see if they are worthy of Aspects at the top. It doesn't help that people who want to prove they are the best are usually full of themselves." She explains.

"I definitely understand that. So, the mountain would redirect the travelers climbing to go to where the Aspects live?" I ask. She nods.

"It seems like you are different than the other climbers. Others might get distracted by the little ones and kill a baby to bring down to the base. The so-called celestials at the top 'need' people to climb to bestow their powers onto the realm. If people hunt the stellacorns, they don't get what they want." She says bitterly. I nod before frowning.

"What do you mean 'so-called celestials need people to climb'? You don't sound very impressed." I frown. She tenses up very quickly.

"Let's just say that I don't hold value to those that watch from above and do nothing to help. Personally, the only Celestial I respect is Soraka. She came down to help people who get hurt. She's someone I respect. The rest of them? Absolute garbage." She growls. She turns to me and grabs my shoulders.

"For example, Aurelion Sol, the great star dragon, bound in chains and tricked by the Aspects to serve Targonians. How cruel a fate is that?" she snaps. I stare in shock.

"B-b-but he helps Runeterra with creatures from another realm!" I protest. She scoffs.

"Against his will. The crown on his head? His chains. One that Pantheon uses to control him. He is bitter and hateful." She snaps. I frown.

"Did I do something to upset you?" I ask her gently. She sighs.

"I don't want to talk about it." she mutters. The little stellacorn, having sensed our aggressive discussion, comes over to cuddle her. She softly smiles at the little one before turning to me.

"I don't hate Pantheon personally. I just hate how a great being was chained just so that others could control his power. It's like if someone were to harm the stellacorns. I'd be furious over that as well. They are beautiful creatures. They grow so much, and are stunning when they grow up completely. Look, look! There's one!" She quickly points out a shooting star. I squint my eyes, trying to see it clearly. It flashes by before I could make it out. I sigh. She notices.

"You didn't see it, did you." She states, very sad. I shake my head.

"I'm sorry. I really wanted to. I just-" I start.

"Couldn't. You have no magic, nothing to help you climb this mountain. What were you thinking?" She whispers to me. I turn to her in tears.

"I never wanted to. I was happy living at the base with my Mother and Father. I was happy seeing my friends. I didn't want to climb." I start to blubber. She looks at me in shock. All this time, I've been strong in front of her. I smile, I laugh, and I keep climbing. Now, I can't help but break. A friend that I made after being on my own for so long, acting so bitter? I felt like I was once again in the blizzard that almost took my life. I can't help but break. "I was just a farmer, happy to be a part of the town. I always wanted to hear more stories, not be one!" I wail. "I didn't ask to climb! I didn't ask to be here! I didn't ask to be chosen!" I scream. The shepherd and the stellacorn both back away from me while I sob. I finally let out everything, unable to handle just one more nightmare. I bury my head into my arms, crying over the lost time with my villageand realizing that my village would not rememberor know all the stories I knew. I hear the shepherd girl walk away, the stellacorn's bleating slowly fading out. _And now I'm alone as well. I wish I never started this journey. I wish I never met Zoe. I want to go home._

"You may have never wanted it, but you were chosen." A new voice sounds next to me. I shake my head, still sobbing.

"I don't want it! I just want to be at home, with my family." I choke out. A hand comes onto my shoulder and I feel lighter. I'm still upset, but I no longer feel so burdened. I sniffle and finally look up to see someone that looks very similar to the shepherd girl. Only she has one horn instead of two, and she wasn't wearing fur clothes.

"I know you are scared and upset, but you aren't safe to cry here." She whispers to me. I take a shaky breath before allowing her to pull me up and tug me away.

_I'm sorry I failed, Mother, Father. I'll miss you guys. Geras, Lye, live a good life. I love you guys dearly. I couldn't climb the mountain. I'm a failure, and I'm going to die here. I hope you remember me and don't remain sad for a long time._ I wander listlessly behind the new woman in front of me. Night falls again before she pulls me into a cave. We are higher on the mountain now. I see the lights above the top dim and stretch out slowly. If I didn't know better, I'd say that it's cautious and worried. I stand at the cave entrance and watch the lights continue to spread.

"It's very dim these days." The lady startles me. I jump and turn to see her holding a cup of… something in her hand. She offers it to me. I look at it warily. She gives a tinkling laugh.

"You have nothing to fear, child. You seemed lost and afraid. I also have no desire to see you so sad. If I may, would you tell me what brings you to the mountain? Why did you choose to climb? You are younger than most I see." She rubs my shoulder. I shiver while I take the drink and sip it.

"I didn't." I murmur. Her eyebrows furrow..

"You didn't?" She asks me, wanting clarification. I nod. My head starts to feel a little fuzzy.

"I didn't choose to climb. Someone up there wants me to climb. They asked Zoe to get me to the top, but I apparently still need to climb." I sneeze. Then cough and collapse. The lady catches me as I fall. I start to wheeze. My vision starts to black out. My head hurts badly. I gasp and claw at her, hoping that she would help. _What if she poisoned me? I don't have a choice. She's the only one here. She's the only one I can ask, even if she just killed me._

I groan as I wake up. I cough and sneeze. My head aches and my heart has a hole in it. I'm wrapped in blankets once again with a fire in the cave. I feel so much worse now than when I was in the cave with the man. Then I was starving. This time I was poisoned.

"I see the problem now, child." The lady whispers to me from the cave entrance. I gasp and groan as my own noise makes my headache.

_You left us!_ I bolt upright, hearing Geras yell at me.

"Did you hear that?" I ask her before coughing again. I start to see my loved one's faces the longer I cough.

_You left us to die!_ Father snarls at me. I feel my tears fall down my face again.

"Father" I whimper. The lady comes over and hushes me while holding me in her arms. I cry.

"What… what have you… done?" I gasp, each word making my friends sound louder and more accusatory. _How could you fail! You're a disappointment! How could you leave us?_ I clutch my head and moan, my head pulsing. She picks up a stick and casts a spell on…

I wake up again, my head feeling slightly better, but not my heart. I look around to see if the lady was there. She sits at the cave entrance. The lights from the peak are very dim. I turn over to my hands and knees. My heart still feels like it's in pieces, but I can't give up. I'm feeling better, but I want to know what she gave me that made me feel so awful at first. I'm careful to stay quiet though. I can't hear my friends accuse me of abandoning them, of hearing my parents be mad at me.

The lights brighten the same time I step out into view. The lady has her eyes closed. I take a seat and look to the stars again. We are silent as the lights dance joyfully.

"You seemed to be in pain, young one." She whispers. I jump before slumping. "You are so burdened by your past. By your anchors." She opens her golden eyes. I bite my lip, not wanting to talk. "You were crying so much. Not a physical pain, mind you, but a pain you carry for a long time. Won't you tell me?" I shake my head, afraid of hearing their disappointment.

"I apologize. I gave you some medicinal herbs to help your body. I was hoping to head off the fever that you had to suffer through. The herbs appear to have a side effect though. I've never had a person react to this herb like this before.." I gasp at her, then wince when I hear mother sob. "I'm afraid the herbs I gave you will not wear off for a long time. You will also need to keep taking them until you are healthy enough to be without them. Your fever is incredibly dangerous. Right now, the herbs are the only thing keeping you up. I do have to say though, your soul is in need of healing, child. You will never fully climb the mountain until you conquer your fear.

"The side affect of the herbs I gave you? It forces you to confront your worst fear. Sort of mends your body. It is apparently a very painful process, so the herb forces your mind into a different state of pain. I've treated others with this herb before. They all bore it without complaint, but they were capable of getting up after the first dose. I certainly did not expect you to pass out. Here, child. You still need the herbs to help with your fever." She tells me while handing me another cup of that gross stuff. I am furious at her.

_I do not fear anything!_ I mouth-snap at her. She smiles.

"You fear your family and friends hurting you or being hurt." She comments. I glare, annoyed that she did in fact know what I was afraid of. "You talk in your sleep, begging your family to forgive you, to not leave you. You are in so much pain from the thought of them, child. You will never be able to finish your climb until you confront what you fear." She tells me before she gestures to the stars.

"This is a mountain dedicated to hardening your mind, body, and soul, to make sure you can support the being that wants to give you their powers. You do not seem battle hardened. I'm grateful for that. Many of the Aspects are war-mongers. There's very few that do not wish to fight, but they still want to help." She whispers melodically. I bite my lip.

"Would you like to help me?" She asks as she turns to me. I tilt my head, feeling very confused. She gives a gentle laugh.

"I came from the stars, child. A long time ago, I chose to fall to this realm to help. I saw how hard life on this realm could be, and I wished to help. I still help from time to time, like lost travellers to the top of the mountain, but for the most part, I watch. Do you know why I choose to watch instead of help often?" She presses her hand against my shoulder. I shake my head.

"It's because this realm's people are so smart. They invent things, become stronger. They make the best out of everything here. I could end disease, but I watched as the world found ways to deal with disease and be better for it. It's amazing to watch.

"This doesn't make much sense to you, does it?" She comments lightly. I shake my head again. She giggles.

"I suppose not. It's been so long since I could tell someone my story. I guess I just rambled on. Anyway, I was asking if you could help me tell who is asking for you." She whispers. I shake my head one more time. She frowns before looking up. I look up too after a bit, needing the familiar comfort of the constellations to help. We remain silent for some time. The lights above start to dim and slow, looking very sluggish and melencholy. My companion gives a tinkling laugh.

"I think I know who chose you. She's being remarkably open about it." She sighs. I look at her in confusion. The lady smiles. "Don't worry. She's a kind Aspect." All my pent up feelings about her start to come to the surface. Anger. Sadness. Fear. Even though I know I'll hear their voices, I can't help but speak.

"Whoever she is, she dragged me up this mountain that I never wanted to climb! She sent a teenager to throw me at the mountain when I never wanted to be anywhere on it!" I spit out. _I hate you! You left us! Are you too good for us now? You hurt us! Go away!_ I grip my head in pain when I hear their voices.

"If it helps, She wouldn't have wanted you to climb right now." The lady soothes my headache with her voice. I whimper and wince, leaning into her shoulder. "She's a sweet Aspect. She would never have wanted this for you. She would have preferred to have waited." She tells me. I shake my head, not wanting to speak again. "She is one of the quieter ones. You wouldn't know her. I think I'll let her introduce herself to you then." I roll my eyes. She laughs again. "Well, child, can you tell me why it hurts to hear your loved ones?" She prys again. Look down and silently refuse. She rubs my back. "I know it's hard. Afraid you would loose everything that isn't in your control. Unfortunately, it is something that you will have to come to terms with." She stands up and reaches to the sky. I stare in awe as she pulls down a little light. She hands the little light to me. It shimmers into a golden ribbon and dances in my hands. I give a soft smile before looking at my healer.

"Take all the time you need, young one. This is a challenge you should have encountered already. I'm not sure why you didn't-" She begins before I interrupt.

"Twilight" _Get away!_ I whisper and flinch. The lady looks annoyed. The light ribbon shimmies smaller before wrapping itself gently around my wrist. It feels so warm. I give a small smile and reach to touch it. My fingertips feel soothed and happy. The little light ribbon seems to preen at being touched and tries to wrap itself around my body. The light source is just a bit too small to do much more than wrap my wrist. The tip of the light pulls up before quickly dipping. _Is it… Annoyed?_ I giggle and just happily play with it. The lady next to me looks very disgruntled. I just can't care. The little light on my wrist is just too calming.

"Why Myisha decided to do this to you I have no idea. Rest child." She pulls me into the cave. "You can stay here until you can face your fear. Gather your strength. I'll take care of you until you're ready to keep climbing." She whispers to me. I nod sleepily before I allow sleep to take me.

_Can I truly get over the fear of losing those I love?_


	9. Healing

The lady is incredibly kind to me the whole time I am with her. She made sure I am warm and somewhat still alive. I'm still incredibly sick. The fever just does not want to let go. Thankfully, it was very rare that I had to leave her little sanctuary to get my own supplies. She just had a way about her that she already knew what I wanted and she just goes and gets it.

From what I can tell, it's been a few days since I've stayed to get better. I drink that nasty headache inducing herb concoction just so I can stay awake. I still hear their voices. I still refuse to talk. _Why? Why can't I have a fear of spiders or snow or big bad stuff like the Firebrand? Why did it have to be family?_ The little ribbon of light never left me since my friend called it down. It was always nearby, either on my lap or my arm. It could always sense when I was sad or upset and try to glow to give me comfort. I smile down at it every time. The little thing is just an absolute darling.

_You're like a little starshadow, aren't you?_ I mentally coo to it while scratching its head. It's certainly weird to do. I'm scratching a light beam. It certainly doesn't feel tangible. The only way I can tell I'm scratching it is how I feel when it touches my fingers. Just the feeling of warmth and safety on my fingertips is my only indicator. Well, also how the light seems to bend and reach for my fingers as well. I give a small giggle, wincing at my family's newest torture. I choose to ignore it while the ribbon puffs up and glows brighter. It also seems to get a little bit longer. It's hard to tell with the little thing, but it seems to be content. Well, at least it's still letting me pet it.

"How are you feeling today?" My friend's voice interrupts my thoughts. I look up to her and smile, conveying that I did feel better.

I never realized how bad the fever had taken a hold of me while climbing. I was just constantly pushing myself and ignoring everything while I kept climbing. I'm still having to drink the herbs. I forgot one time, and the fever spiked badly. I was throwing up and covered in sweat. According to my healer, if the little lightbeam hadn't almost burnt itself out, she would have come back too late to give me the herbs. I would have died.

I woke up later, seeing my little ribbon of light barely a spark. My healer was trying to give it some help, but it was just super despondent. It refused to even try to glow until I coughed. That was when it sparked dimly and tried to reach out to me. The healer placed my spark next to me. I think we both passed out, if a spark could sleep. The next time I woke up, the spark was a tiny ribbon again. It was also very mad at me. I had to pout for a long time before it would come back and let me stroke it's warmth.

_Not bad._ I hold out my hand and shake it a little. The ribbon turns to look at my hand before shaking side to side. The other end of the ribbon taps my hand. I glare at it. _I'm not ready to talk_. The ribbon looks right at me, not backing down. We hold a staring contest for a little while.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're doing better. You still need those herbs though, and you know it." She tells me firmly. I go to put my hand up to indicate I heard her when the ribbon taps my hand. It didn't feel the same as before. Last time was a gentle warm. This time it is too hot.

I yank my hand back before glaring at it. The light was unrepentant. We hold another staring contest. Well, I try to. I have no idea where this thing's eyes are.

_You burned me. That was very mean._ The ribbon's lights flicker before remaining steady. I frown. _Can you hear me?_ The ribbon bobs it's little head. My eyes widen. _Wha… How long have you been snooping in my thoughts!_ The ribbon points the other end to the cave entrance. _From the beginning?_ It nods. I growl. _You have no right to do that!_ The little light dims again, faltering a bit. I sigh. _Are you her creature?_ I gesture to the healer. It shakes its head no. _Are you from the Aspect that wants to meet me?_ It nods.

I gasp out loudly and back away. This thing came from the being that was trying to kill me. The healer hears this and comes over. She notices me backing away and the little light's dim features before going over to the lady.

"Would you like me to translate for you?" She asks. It nods before swaying in patterns.

"This is a creature that was called down from the celestial realm. The Aspect that wants to meet with you was very sad that you think of her as an enemy. She gifted this one to give you comfort. She truly did not want you to climb yet. She wanted to wait for you to feel like you were ready. You were getting close to deciding to climb yourself. Taric and Atreus were inspiring you to climb it, you just weren't ready yet." She translates. My eyes widen. I never talked to her about my past. She would never know the name Atreus as Pantheon never mentioned meeting a healer. The only way that the healer would know that name was if the little guy is from the Aspect that is watching me.

"She asked Zoe to deliver a message. Yes, she agreed to get Aurelion Sol to play with Zoe in exchange for you to hear her request." The little light flickers to a red and pink color before going back to it's normal yellow glow. "Oh? Really?" My friend asks. It bobs a blushing red before straining back to yellow, though it is very clearly still embarrassed. My friend looks at me

"It guesses that since his creator asked Zoe to deliver a message, that maybe Zoe wanted to do something more for the Aspect that would play with her and deliver the Aspect's chosen one as close as she could. It thinks that Zoe did have the best intentions, even if it was poorly executed." The light relaxes down.

"This little one was meant to be a gift and an apology. You can name it whatever you'd like. It's to be your companion and helper when need be."She tells me. I look at it before picking it up. The front of the ribbon perks up while the end of it dangles off my hands. I look at it before smiling.

_Would you mind if I called you Starshadow?_ It flickers before turning its head to the healer. I look to her for help.

"It wants you to voice what you're thinking." She tells me. I sigh before putting it back on the ground. The ribbon coils up and looks pathetically at me. _Well you would be pathetic if I could actually see you._ It recoils and moves like a snort. Apparently, I offended it.

"It's not pathetic." The healer says. I smile before frowning and looking to the stars. The little ribbon crawls up my back and wraps around my head.

"I understand that you are afraid, but you can't live your life in fear. You won't even talk to us because you're afraid to be hurt. You need to be able to let go." She whispers comfortingly. I feel tears ready to come down my face. The ribbon pulls one end up and evaporates the tears trying to fall before rubbing my temple. It starts to glow a blueish green color. It's my favorite color. It's just so comforting.

"What I meant by letting go is that you accept that you will not always have them around. I'm thinking you were probably thinking of your family the entire time you were gone instead about what you need to do. Letting go doesn't mean you're losing them. It's like stories. You remember their stories and who they are, but you are ok to be alone. Understand?" She asks me gently. I give a small nod. My head's feeling super fuzzy and warm thanks to the ribbon. _Though, my stomach feels like it's about to…_ That's when I realize that I forgot to get another dose of the medicinal crap. _The ribbon's colors. That's its way of signaling something is wrong._ I throw up. The healer's hand feels extremely cool on my head. "We forgot again." The little ribbon turns a burnt red color. "Ok, we forgot, you didn't and was trying to warn us, but we were having a touching moment." The healer states sarcastically. The light fades back to the same blueish green color.

"Starshadow." I rasp. I still wince at hearing my family in my head, but she was right. I am tired of not talking because I was afraid to be hurt. While it feels great to finally get over it, my stomach and head burn far too much for me to celebrate my victory.

_Don't worry, Leilah, I'm here._ A ghostly voice echoes in my head. There's a hiss and the voices from my family and friends are much quieter. I groan in relief before passing out.

"I apologize for keeping you occupied. You suffered for it." The healer looks so sad when she apologizes. I shrug.

"It's ok." I croak out. Haven't spent some time silent, my voice is now wonderfully crackly. "I was being rather stubborn too." I feel a sinuous length creep up my back and legs before it rests itself across my shoulders.

_You are far too stubborn. That fear you were holding was ridiculous anyway. That little family imagery was only fantasy after all._ Starshadow sways his head back and forth, the glorious snake that he is.

My acceptance of my new situation seemed to accept that Starshadow is now a part of my life. He's not a light beam anymore. In my eyes, He's a long snake that easily crawls up my body and wraps around me as he pleases. His head is thin and smooth, with a bright spot on his head. Well, he's large enough to drape himself across my shoulders this time. He generally likes to be a bit smaller and wraps himself around my wrist more often.

_You are my master, and it's my job to help you. It wouldn't be good for me to be easily visible and disposed of at any given time._ Starshadow sniffs in annoyance before he shrinks down and slithers to coil firmly around my wrist under my sleeve.

"How are you even comfortable like that? You know that I use my arms to run, right?" I ask him, confused.

_I'm not an actual animal, not like the primitive life on this realm. The stellacorns move much faster. You running will be like a swinging hammock._ He scoffs. I feel his coils wrap around my wrist to borderline tight, but definitely snug.

"You are a great big drama queen." I tease him. His head pops up, annoyed.

_I am no queen, Master. I am a king._ I roll my eyes at his antics. I look to the healer while he settles down.

"Thank you for helping me." I rasp to her. She waves a hand.

"It's what I like to do. Now, let's get rid of that fever of yours for good, shall we?" She asks me while twirling a staff. I tilt my head confused.

"What do you mean, for good? Don't the herbs help me with that?" I ask her. She sighs.

"I'm sorry to say this. I sort of lied to you. The herbs I gave were going to keep the fever at bay, but they would not heal your fever. They were going to help you get past whatever was making you so sad. I could easily cure the fever." She tells me as she waves her staff. The voices in my head and the sick feeling I had was instantly washed away. I could take a deep breath and not feel sick. I felt amazing actually. And now that my head is clear, I could finally identify my mysterious healer.

"Thank you, Soraka. Sorry it took me so long to figure out who you were. That fever was definitely slowing my mind down. I can't believe I didn't recognize you from the beginning." I greet her enthusiastically. She gives a small chuckle before waving her hand.

"I'm just glad you're not mad at me for tricking you. I could truly help, but I have always found wonder in how people could heal themselves and get better from it. If I just healed everything, I doubt you would be as strong as you are right now, or have Starshadow as your companion." She tells me, truly relieved that I wasn't mad. I just smile at her.

_Excuse me Master. Are you forgetting someone?_ I glance down to see my little snake peeking his head up, somehow looking very put out. I roll my eyes at his attitude.

"And you are amazing too, Starshadow." I laugh out. He harrumphs in my head before slinking back around my wrist. Soraka looks very happy at seeing us interact before she has an even bigger smile.

"Come outside, quickly!" She calls to me as she runs to the entrance. I quickly grab the blanket to keep myself warm before racing to get outside. I stare at the sky, stunned.

Mount Targon's borealis is normally just yellow. Now it's a myriad of colors. It's beautiful Even better, I saw some of the adult stellacorns that the little shepherd girl was rambling about. They are beautiful. Their coats glittering while they flap their beautiful wings. They gallop through the air, their manes shimmering while they fly. I'm amazed at the sight before me.

_Humph. I'm much more beautiful._ Starshadow grumbles in my head. I reach over to my left wrist to scratch his head and calm him down. He hisses contently while I continue to watch the stellacorns fly in the sky. They almost seem to be dancing.

"She truly does care about you before she even met you face to face." Soraka breaks the silence. I gasp, finally realizing that I haven't breathed since I saw the sight.

"I may have to talk to her face to face if she's creating such beautiful scenes." I whisper. Soraka gives a gentle laugh.

"She certainly is hoping that you will forgive her by putting on these lights."Soraka comments. I gulp.

"She's forgiven if I can see a picture of my parents." I tell Soraka. As if the lights could hear my request, I watch as the lights molded themselves to look like Mother and Father. I tear up, happy to see them once more. They look so happy and sad at the same time. I give a watery smile to them

"I'll come back Mother, Father. I'm going to finish climbing this stupid mountain, and I'll see you again." I vow before tearing my eyes away. "Thank you, whoever you are." I shout to the stars. The lights linger for a moment. My parents no longer have a tinge of sadness, but look significantly happier before they return to the rainbow colors of before.

_Master, I hope you aren't feeling sad again._ Starshadow murmurs in my head, not wishing to disturb me but also needing to know I was ok. I smile.

"I'm not sad, Starshadow. I'm happy I got to see them again. And I'm looking forward to meeting the Aspect. And I'm Leilah. I'm not Master." I tell him before turning to Soraka.

"Thank you for keeping me alive and your story. I'll treasure it forever." I tell her wholeheartedly.

"I can help you in one more way." She tells me. She waves her staff, and the stars above glow in a single line. I look at her confused. "This is the way to meet the Aspects."

"Thank you so much." I hug her quickly. She tenses before relaxing very slightly. I pull away and race back into the cave. I quickly grab the clothes that have been with me this entire time before running back outside. I hesitate to run off though. _Soraka has done so much for me. I'd hate to leave her all alone._

"I won't be alone for too long, child." She calls to me. I give her a farewell before running after the line. Starshadow is grumbling that he isn't used to the ride yet, but for the first time since I've been on this mountain, I feel excited.

_When will I finally get to meet you, Aspect of the Borealis?_


	10. Getting to Know the Companion

_Are we there yet?_ I roll my eyes at Starshadow's annoyance. The little drama queen just won't stop whining over how long I'm taking.

"For the tenth time, I'm not a beam of light. I don't get there instantly. This is what you're going to have to deal with." I scold him. I hear him sigh in my head before slinking up to my neck and just looking around from there. His white eyes eventually meet mine.

_You may not be feeling sick anymore, but I'm still worried over what else this mountain has to offer._ He hisses. I agree. There may definitely be more trouble with the rest of the climb. Though, I believe I do have a little helper.

"What kinds of trouble?" I whisper. He tilts his head up for a moment. His scales dim for a moment, trying to figure out what he can tell me. I keep walking. He sighs.

_None that are too pleasant. DODGE!_ I tuck and roll away just as a massive starry paw lands where I was just standing. I never saw it. I tilt my head up to figure out what just tried to flatten me.

_DON'T LOOK!_ I snap my eyes shut at Starshadow's command. I feel his body get heavier before it falls off my shoulders. The temperature gets hotter. I risk a squint. Starshadow is now a massive snake. His body easily coils enough to cover me and give me some space. It's also a very deep red.

"What is it?" I scream at him. All I hear is a very angry hiss.

_Hush, Master. The big ones are talking._ He snaps. I glare at his coils before punching his body. Even if his body is half my height, I don't doubt he wouldn't feel it.

"Excuse me? I don't care what you are trying to protect me from, I still need to know! And my name is Leilah!" I snap. I see his scales tense before they snap into action. The dome I was hidden in disappears quickly. One coil wraps around my torso and hauls me off my feet. He grabs me a bit too tightly. I feel my ribs getting crushed. _Can't… Breathe…_ His coils relax a bit. It's just enough for me to take tiny sips of air. He's also whipping me around so strongly that I'm struggling to not feel sick.

_Close your eyes!_ His hiss is so loud it echoes in my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut to try to not look at anything. It makes the sickness worse, but right now Starshadow is keeping me alive. I have to trust him.

The creature that is attacking us roars loudly. Starshadow gives his own hiss. They are very clearly both agitated. Everything stops moving for a moment. The only thing I can hear is my own heartbeat.

Eventually, Starshadow releases me. He also doesn't feel super heavy anymore. In fact, I feel his body slink back to my neck, as light as before we were attacked.

_Leilah, if you would kindly keep moving forward, I will guide you past this monstrosity!_ He hisses his insult to the creature he was just fighting. I hear a groan that does not sound particularly friendly. I snap my hand up to my neck, struggling to find his snout. It takes a moment to find where he's keeping his head. I quickly find his mouth and hold it shut. Starshadow grunts in surprise and protest, but I have bigger things to worry about. I freeze, hoping that the giant creature won't try to squash us because of him. I sense that it's watching me, waiting for something. I start to tremble. I really hope that Starshadow didn't do anything to offend it enough to try and crush me again.

_It's left._ Starshadow mutters in my head. I sigh and take a deep breath before opening my eyes glaring at his dim light.

"What the hell was that? How did you get so big? Where do you get off talking to me like that? And what makes you think that you can keep important information like what that thing is away from me! I can possibly forgive the suffocate-me-to-death part, but everything else needs answers!" I snap at him. His glow starts to fade even quicker. I frown. "Are you ok?"

_Mindsplitters are not creatures you would wish to see. They protect the peak. This one saw me and thought I was attached to someone that would harm the Aspects. It's never been seen before, a star attached to a human. He thought you had summoned me to scale the mountain and attempt an attack on the Aspects._ He starts to flicker out, still shrinking. I carefully grab him and hold him in my hand until he's the size of a pinky.

"Hey, what's wrong? Why are you so small?" I ask him, very worried about his light. I hear a weak harumph in my head.

_I just need to recharge. This place is the only time I can get that big, thanks to how close we are to the stars. If I tried to do this in Runeterra, I would surely burn myself out. It was my only option to keep you safe and keep its attention on me._ He shrinks even more, small enough to be on my fingernail. I bite my lip worried. I'm even more worried when his form goes from snakelike back to it's light spark.

"We will need to talk about what you can and can't do later, ok?" I sigh. The light flickers once more, the color of grass, before it dims to almost nothing. I look around the area to see if there's a place to let Starshadow recover.

The terrain is glowing with little crystals everywhere. It's a bit smooth and flat where we are, though it still slopes gently up. I find a rock to sit on and wait for Starshadow to glow again. Meanwhile, I stare at the stars.

"You know, Starshadow, I used to look to look for constellations in these stars. Now, I just see them. I don't need to find another star and find the constellation I want from there. I just know now. Like that constellation. That's the constellation of the Messenger. It's an adorable little dog. Over there, it's Pantheon. He's my idol, you know…" I continue to ramble while Starshadow rests. I feel a little bit sad. Sure, I haven't known him for long as a mentally talking snake, but he was always by my side and always trying to help me when I was sick. He gave me comfort. He kept me safe. I just wish I knew what to do to help him feel better.

The stars float idly by. Eventually, I get tired. I carefully lie down next to the rock. Starshadow's spark is still carefully cradled in my hands. I gaze at him for a bit before reaching a finger out to lightly stroke him. The spark flares a tiny bit before returning to it's sedate brightness. I close my eyes, exhausted from my near death.

_Wake up, Leilah._ I yawn for a bit. I certainly feel better, but Starshadow is still what worries me. _I'm ok, Leilah._ He's still rather small and dim. I hope he'll make it. _I'm fine._

"Starshadow!" I bolt upright. I carefully look into my hands. Starshadow's reformed into his snake form, even if he's still small enough to dwarfed by my pinky. "Are you feeling better?" He nods.

_I'm still a little sleepy, but I don't think I'm at risk for poofing out of existence._

"Are you up for conversation?" I whisper. His light pales a bit.

_I don't know how long, but I can try._ His little form tries to grow a bit to make it easier for me to see, but I can see his light dimming too much for my liking.

"Stay the size you need to be. I'd rather you remain on this plane without poofing." I blurt out. His head bobs slowly before he shrinks back down. I sigh.

"I think we should get to know each other a bit more before we try to do anymore climbing. I didn't like how you treated me like a child. I am a teenager, but I am still old enough to not be ignored." I start. I hear him sigh in my head.

_I apologize for that. The Mindsplitter was trying to break my mind to find out your secrets. I did not have the patience to answer your demands or we would be in worse trouble._

"Ok. I guess it's something I'll have to get used to?"

_Perhaps. I will try to not be so callous in a tense situation._

"What's a Mindsplitter?"

_It kinda looks like a bigger form of Firebrand, only it is made of stars, smoother, and has two heads. I told you not to look because I was worried about your mind. It's name is rather apt._

"How would it split my mind?"

_Your head gets filled with all the information of the universe. I had trouble fighting the thing. You would be dead._

"Fair enough. Is there anything else I'd have to watch out for the more we climb?"

_I think that was the last of the guardians. It should be really smooth sailing from here._

"What's sailing?" I feel confused when Starshadow laughs in my head.

_You are still a child if there are a few words like sailing that you don't understand._ His hiss comes out a little bit breathy. I glare at him.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't patronize me."

_This isn't patronizing. It's teasing. I am a few centuries older after all._

"You never even took a form until you were on Targon. That doesn't count!"

_Does too._

"Now who's the childish one?" We both just start to laugh and look up at the sky. We're happy. I'm glad Starshadow cares about me. I'm glad he's alive. He's making a pretty good companion.

_You aren't so bad yourself._

"Stop reading my mind." I snap. He laughs again before we just enjoy each other's company. The stars look so bright up close. I frown.

"Hey, Starshadow?" I whisper. He hums in my head. "There's a green star in the sky. I've never seen them before." Starshadow's head snaps up. I hear him gasp in my head.

_Look a little closer._ He sounds super breathy, like he was in awe. I narrow my eyes, trying to see before gasping. There's a massive dragon in the sky with his body made of stars. A mane of purple flows from his head. His teeth are bared constantly and look terrifying. I'd hate to be even near those teeth. The green that caught my eyes before was the dragon's eye. His claws are glowing white. Right before my eyes, I see a star be born. The dragon's head turns slightly to the claw to watch as he places another star in the sky. I just manage to make out a crown on his head before I gasp.

"Is that?" I hesitate to say. Starshadow just nods.

_Aurelion Sol. The star forger. Once happy to just create stars. Now bound to his chains._ Starshadow started so proudly, but his last words are bitter. I frown.

"So he truly is bound to serve humanity?" I start to cry. Starshadow sighs.

_Yeah. I would not wish that fate on anyone, but now that he is bound, I rather he stay that way._ He sounds so resigned. I turn to look at him.

"What's he like?" I hesitate to ask. He stares up as the dragon lazily flies around.

_Prideful, as he should be. He practically made all the constellations that made the Aspects. There was a war a long time ago. A few thousand years ago. Runeterra was at war with other creatures of the stars. They are void creatures. Creatures that despised light. Runeterra was born when the Aspects wanted to tend to something. Before Runeterra was heavily targeted, Aurelion Sol was creating stars. I was one of the last stars born before he was forced to be at the beck and call of targonians. He was tricked into wearing the crown by Myisha and Targonians. Now, he's forced to create new stars just to destroy gates the void creates into Runeterra._ His voice sounds incredibly sad.

"So, Aurelion Sol is like your father?" I slyly ask. Starshadow tilts his head slightly before giving a nod.

_I suppose you can say that. By that perspective, Targonians are forcing Aurelion Sol to destroy my siblings as soon as they are born._ I gasp.

"That's awful." I feel tears run down my face.

_It is. Even worse is that he can sense every single star he ever created._ His voice cracks in my head. I choke out a sob.

"How? How can people do that to him?" I cry. One green star becomes two. I look back to him as he stares down at us.

_They needed him. They still need him. But don't think that releasing him now will help. He wants to destroy everyone. He blames everyone for his imprisonment. He's not entirely wrong, but everyone wants life here to keep living. He'd destroy everything in a star pulse if he could._ I have a minor staring contest with the dragon of the sky while Starshadow explains this to me.

Out of nowhere, lights spread across the sky. Pinks, yellows, and greens flood the sky in streaks. The green lights that were gazing at me turn slightly to the streaks. His great head tilts before looking back to us. He shakes his head like he's shaking off a gnat before turning away and leaving. Starshadow gasps.

_He… He approves?_ I turn around to see the bright lights by his eyes.

"Are you crying?" I check on him. He shakes his head back and forth.

_He's ok with me being down here. I wasn't sure if…_ He takes a very shaky breath. _He cares about us all. All his stars. I chose to fall because the Aspect wanted to apologize and I've always wanted to roam Runeterra. I came down without him knowing, but he's ok with me being down here?_ I hear him choke out his words like he's sad and relieved.

"You ok, Starshadow?" He launches himself at me for a hug. Well as much as he can while he's tiny. I have to catch him before he falls to the ground. His head quickly nuzzles into my neck.

_I am now._ He pulls back and gets himself together. _We never speak of this._

"Maybe not out loud. But I will definitely be teasing you about it."

_This is why you are a child, Though I am curious, why do you not use mindspeak?_

"I've been alone on this mountain for over a month before I met you and Soraka. Talking is a comfort for me. And since we are playing the change topics game, why could I see him tonight? He's huge, but I never saw him before."

_You didn't have access to magic and he's made of stars. Of course he's going to be hard to spot. My magic is star based, so you had a better chance of seeing him._

"I don't have access to magic."

_When you accepted me, my friend finished creating the bond that is suppose to be between us. You are currently accessing my own magic from the stars._ My eyes widen considerably.

"I'm taking you magic?" I ask him worriedly. He shakes his head.

_You are using my magic passively. If you were using spells, I'd poof out too quickly. I'm also not teaching you spells._

"Why not?"

_Because you'll get your own magic with the Aspect and I have no desire to confuse your new magical core with different spells._

"Oh, that's not fair!" We bicker as I pack up our stuff and prepare to keep walking. Starshadow is back on my body, this time perches around my neck. He's back to being his prideful self, but he's a bit softer now. We start to walk off to the top. He's telling jokes and teasing me. I laugh and tease back whole heartedly, knowing he felt vulnerable before. As we chat, I can't help but think.

_What kind of craziness will Starshadow bring to my adventures now?_


	11. Understanding the Snake

"Hey, Starshadow?"

_What is it now? I was taking a nap._

"We've been walking for a while now, right?"

_Yes, silly human._

"How long would you say?"

_Well, including the breaks, about two days._

"Why haven't we seen the sun?"

_We passed the barrier around the same time the Mindsplitter attacked._

"Oh. So, how close are we to the Aspects then?"

_Still pretty far._

"Really?"

_Well, the crystals are getting larger at least._

"I guess that's true."

_Any other insipid questions you'd like to ask?_

"Yeah. Can you not be such a dick?"

_Rude._

"Supercilious."

_I'm impressed you know that word._

"I'm impressed you can be impressed."

_Uncalled for._

"It most definitely is!"

_Why are you mad?_

"Cause I just learned we have a massive amount of traveling to do and you are being annoying."

_You take forever._

"Why don't you walk then?"

_I'd rather not._

"Your precious scaly light too delicate for the surface?"

_Well, that, but mostly I wouldn't be able to protect you._

"Why is it that when I'm mad, you say nice things?"

_It keeps me from getting thrown?_

"Funny, I just thought we were having a bonding moment."

_Were? I'm pretty sure we still are._

"You're not wrong, but you are definitely being prissy about it."

_So?_

"Ugh. You stay quiet until I want to talk. I have some things to think about."

_Like what?_

"What will happen to us after I finish the climb?" I whisper. Apparently I threw Starshadow off his high horse. He's quiet. I think I might have startled him.

_It's certainly not one I'd personally want to think about. Those chosen by an Aspect have always been called upon. You'd be constantly on the move. You wanted to be a simple farmer. Unfortunately, that's not possible anymore._ We both remain silent. In reality, I had already accepted that I would not be the same. I couldn't be the farmer I was taught to be. I learned a long time ago from Pantheon. All he wanted was a home. He couldn't be anymore. Not to mention the firebrand and Mindsplitter and my fever made me tougher. Staying in one spot, right now, is not in my interest.

"I know that."

_Really? And you still climb?_

"Well, apparently someone at the top really thinks I can do it. Might as well try."

_You really didn't have to._

"Maybe not, but I chose to. MIght as well accept. Besides, I always wanted to travel. I have to grab this chance while I can."

_Times like these I can see why She picked you._

"Enough about me though. What about you?"

_What about me?_

"I mean, will you go back to the stars?" I ask him. He turns his head to stare at me.

_Do you want me to?_ If I didn't know better, he sounded sad and dejected. I pull my wrist that he was perched on to stare at him in the eyes.

"I know you came down when Soraka called for you, but we are heading to the top of Mount Targon, where it's said we interact with celestials. This is your one chance to go home. I really hope to not climb this again. Especially since I didn't even fully climb. I don't want to trap you." I stare at him. His eye lights brighten considerably before he turns his head away.

_Would you accept it if I chose to leave?_

"I'd have no choice, would I?" I joke.

_Not the time._

"I would rather you stay, but I also don't want to tear you from your home."

_Even if I chose to come down?_

"You chose to come down then. You could still go back."

_Are you trying to get rid of me?_ His head whips back around angrily.

"No. I want you to be comfortable!" I groan out. Starshadow is not having it.

_Unbelievable. I'm a celestial being and you don't want me._

"It's not that I don't want you, it's that I want you to be happy!"

_What if I'm happy being with you?_

"Then I'm happy to be your friend!" I shout at him.

_You asked me if I wanted to leave._

"If is the key word here."

_Don't you trust me?_

"Starshadow, you're taking this a bit far."

_I want to know!_

"Yes, I trust you. I just wanted to know what you wanted to do."

_I want to stay._

"Are you sure?"

_Where's that trust you spoke of?_

"For crying out loud, why are you being difficult?"

_Why are you trying to get rid of me?_

"I'm not!"

_You keep asking if I want to leave._

"You are taking this too far.!"

_I am the equivalent of your god. You should be kinder._

"I'm not going to treat you like a god."

_You should._

"I'm not talking to you right now. I'm not dealing with your word circles or you being high handed." I snap.

_You can't stop me from talking._

"True enough, but I don't have to listen."

_I'm in your head. Try and not listen then!_ He starts to go on about how I'm an idiotic amoeba and how I'm a disgrace. The Aspect that chose me was mistaken and should never have met me and so forth. I bear it all. Tears prick my eyes as he gets worse and worse, but I will not talk to him. _She doesn't deserve an insignificant worm to bear her power._

"SHUT UP!" I snap at him. Starshadow remains silent. "You are being so cruel right now! All I wanted was for you to be sure of your choice! I couldn't care if you want to stay or go! Before I would have been very sad to say goodbye! Now, I'm hoping I ca-"

"Leilah?" A very familiar voice calls to me. I snap my head around with a smile. Taric stands before me, alive and looking quite healthy. He still has his blue cape, but now there are crystals floating above his shoulders.

"Taric!" I cry out happily as I run over to hug him. He gives a gentle smile and returns my hug. He's careful not to hit me with his new glowing hammer axe thing. I pull away and I am just so excited to see him.

"How are you? I'm glad to see you're alive!" I chirp. Starshadow is grumbling under his breath. I dutifully ignore his attempts to get my attention. Taric pauses, tilting his head like he's listening.

"That is rather rude to her. You should be more understanding, you are older afterall." Taric reprimands Starshadow. Starshadow and I both look at each other before turning to Taric.

"You can understand him?"

_A great oaf like yourself can not possibly understand my language._

"Really, Starshadow?" I turn on him, incredibly angry and just done with his high handed attitude.

"Starshadow, was it?" Taric interrupts. He's clearly very calm, but I can see his muscles tense a little bit. "Might I have a word with you?"

_And why should I have a word with someone who's beneath me?_

"Because you are hurting and can probably use some time to vent." Taric answers him. Starshadow's head flickers slightly towards me, but he's silent in my head. Taric seems to have heard him. "Do not worry. No harm shall come to her as long as she remains nearby. On that I vow."

I frown. I thought Starshadow hated me. _Why would he care about my safety? Well, maybe he only cares about his ride getting him back home. Would be just like him._ I sigh and take a seat. Taric holds his hand out. Starshadow slithers onto Taric's offering and they walk a little bit away. I take a seat and just stare up at the sky.

"What were you thinking, whoever you are? Why me? Why send Starshadow to me? He clearly does not want to be around me. I don't know why he's so bitter, but he is. Maybe if he goes home he'll be happy. He's so bitter right now." I vent to the lights around me. Some of the lights appear in front of me. They are small and twinkle so brightly. I watch happily as the lights dance. Then they start to move in patterns.

All the lights in front of me dance with each other. Then, one of them moves moves away, glowing a sick green. The other lights quickly dash and huddle away from it. The little light left alone tries to catch up. The others constantly dash away. The little light ebbs, dim and blue with sadness. Then a tinier spark comes up the lonely light. That light brightens a little bit. The other lights glow an angry red and bombard the duo. The larger light tries to help the little one, but it's bullied away from it. The spark is constantly being buffed away from the larger one. Both of the lights turn sad. Eventually, the other lights leave the spark alone. The spark attempts to dash for the larger one, but the group turns, glows red and herds the little spark away. It constantly repeats. Eventually, the little spark stops trying. It's glowing a very sad color.

The large lone light dims to almost being unseen. It sneaks over to the spark and wraps it. The spark glows a little happier color, but remains sad. The large light turns sad as well. Suddenly, a borealis comes by. It sweeps around me. I watch as the colors of the Borealis turn to look like...

_Me._ The Borealis looks like an exact replica of me, down to the scar on my neck from when I nicked myself with the family scythe. I had tried to help my family farm, but I couldn't swing it right and nearly took my head off. The scar remains there to this day.

The large light takes on a brighter, hopeful color. It pokes the spark until the spark looks brighter. The large light darts over to the borealis me. The spark stays still for a moment. It's thinking. Then a Soraka borealis forms and the little spark takes it's chance, dashing to borealis Soraka before resting on borealis me's shoulder.

I gasp and fall down on my butt. Now I know why Starshadow was so hurt. Said it himself. He's one of the last stars born free. He was moved by Aurelion Sol's acceptance. He is upset by the thought of losing me.

The lights performed his story. The large light is an Aspect, probably the Aspect that wants to meet me. And Starshadow liked to be around them. He was bullied by the other celestials to stay away from the borealis Aspect and to accept Aurelion Sol's fate. He didn't like it though, and he grew dimmer the longer he was alone. That would explain why he doesn't have a name. The Aspect saw me and hoped that I would give him company and friendship. Soraka was just someone who was going to call down a star to cheer me up. Starshadow raced to be the star that came down. He never left, and he stayed by my side, hoping that I would be a friend that he'd need.

I turn around and run towards Taric and Starshadow. They look to be in deep conversation, Starshadow a deep red while Taric sits stoically. They both turn to me as I crash into them. I gingerly pick up Starshadow from Taric and carefully hold him with both hands.

"I'm sorry, Starshadow! I didn't mean to want you to leave! I just thought that as a Celestial, you already had an amazing life in the stars. I didn't understand why you wanted to come down!" I wail quietly, hoping that I wouldn't blast his eardrums out.

Starshadow freezes for a moment. _What do you mean you didn't understand why I wanted to come down?_ His voice is breathy, like he's afraid. I screw up my face, hoping I can get this right.

_You were bullied by the other Celestials for a long time. You stood by the Aspect that chose me and was bullied for it. You were sad and tired of it for so long, that you started to dim. The Aspect was afraid you would die, and gave you a way to be by my side. I thought that you had lived such a cozy life in the stars that I wanted you to choose the best thing for you to be happy. I didn't mean to try to push you away._ I screw up my face, hoping that he heard me like how I always heard him. I feel his scales rub against my face gently.

_Who told you?_ He sounds so sad in my head I burst out into tears.

"The lights over there." I whisper, gesturing to the lights that are now dancing merrily on their own. Starshadow looks over before shaking his head.

_Of course she had to meddle. Anything to help someone in need, huh?_ His voice is so quiet I almost didn't catch it. Seems like he's talking to himself.

"Anyway, are we good?" I ask him shyly. He tilts his head for a moment before he nods.

_We're good. As long as you treat me like a god._ His teasing voice comes back. I give a watery giggle.

"I'm gonna be a chosen one. I don't think I should be treating you like a god." I touch my forehead to his. When I pull back, his body is much larger. His tail now falls off my hands.

_I still deserve some recognition._ He retorts. We both give little laughs.

"So, does this mean you are feeling better then?" Taric interrupts out moment. He's happy that we've made up. I give him a nod.

"A little misunderstanding. Turns out, he's just as emotionally young as I am physically." I tell him.

_Hey!_

"It's true! I don't blame you though. I'm glad you came down. You'll always have a friend in me, even if you don't want to stay." I tell Starshadow.

_Well, you're not the first person I would pick, but I wouldn't have it any other way._

"Leilah, I'm surprised to see you this far up the mountain." Taric interrupts. Starshadow gives a hissy laugh.

_You and me both. Turns out a teenage Chosen decided that it would be better to rush Leilah into meeting the Aspect early and sent her up to the border on the Celestial realm. You know, the clouds?_

"You are kidding me!" Taric blurts out stunned. I smile.

"It's a long story. Do you have time to listen?" I ask him. He takes a seat and gestures for me to go on. I tell him what's happened to me. Starting from being grounded, to freezing and nearly dying from starvation and surviving the Firebrand, to keeping company with a Stellacorn and shepard, and being saved from dying by Soraka and Starshadow. I tell him about how Starshadow and I met and started to warm up to each other. He listens, enraptured, until I finish my tale.

"You are truly worthy to have gotten this far, Leilah. I'm quite glad to see you have survived. Are you sure you want to reach the top? You can still turn back" He looks at me in concern.

"Yes. I'm sure. Someone needs some help. I may not be able to fight, or have magic, but if I can help, I have to try." I nod passionately. He gives a small smile before he summons a crystal.

"Use this to protect yourself and climb the rest of the way. You will be meeting the others shortly. Should not take more than a day or two." He tells me. I tear up before tackling Taric in a hug.

"Thank you, Taric. I hope to see you again." I mumble into his chest. He gives a rumbling laugh.

"I have no doubt we will. Good luck." He bids me farewell before he gets up and climbs down the mountain. I look to Starshadow, his form now big enough to comfortably coil around my neck instead of my wrist. I grab the crystal and we keep walking up to the top.

_I'm ready._


	12. At The Top

The crystals that we walk have been slowly turning more and more into stars over the past day. Even with how beautiful the scenery changes, I refuse to stop and look. I've been gone for over two months now. I miss my family and friends. I'm sure they miss me just as much as I miss them. Though if I meet with Zoe again, maybe I just reappear back to when I was kidnapped.

_You are doing a lot of thinking when you are this close to where I used to live._ I squeak and jump a little bit.

"You interrupt my thoughts one more time…" I take a deep breath before I feel extremely tempted to throw the annoying snake somewhere to the bottom of the mountain.

_You make it too easy._

"I had a life before this, you know. One that didn't involve a mind-talking light-being invading my mind every five seconds I want to ponder."

_I do know. It almost seems like you care more about them than me._ He groans.

"We've known each other how long?" I try.

_Your entire soul cycle._ He says it in such an obvious tone that it's like I'm the dumb one.

"That doesn't count. Wait, Soul cycle?"

_Umm… Uh… Look over there!_

"Oh, you aren't getting out of this that easily!"

_Look, Leilah. I'm a companion. I'm not your personal guide to the inner workings of Runeterra._

"Uh huh. Soul cycle?"

_Sounds like it is. I'm not saying more._

"Not far."

_Enjoy the stars._ I stick my tongue out in his general direction back on my wrist. For someone who's lived so long, he's not that much different from me. I know I'd try to avoid topics that my parents hound me for that I don't want to tell. I sigh and let it drop. Remembering that he always loves to interrupt my thoughts to scare me, I turn my attention to what he wants me to focus on.

"Is this really what your home looks like? It's beautiful." I comment quietly, knowing that he is sensitive about his life before me, or as he likes to call it, before he 'got stuck with an incurable microorganism for his best chances of survival in a plagued realm', whatever a microorganism is. _Stupid snake._ I think affectionately.

_I prefer to think I'm omnipotent._ He preens.

"You are definitely not." I snort. His head darts out of my sleeve and glares at me.

_And how many times have I saved your life?_

"That's not omnipotent!"

_**If you are done with your argument.**_ Another voice joins in my mind. One that I can only describe as more powerful. I couldn't say if it was a man or a woman, if it was young or old. It just felt like something I would not want to cross. I see Starshadow's form blink outside my sleeve and he perches delicately on my shoulder. His head bows to the stars.

_Apologies, Arbiter. I am afraid I caught this champion's attention to the point where we didn't realize we had reached the peak._ He sounds apologetic and small. It takes a moment, but I gasp when I finally register what he said and look around.

The peak is an open temple. Two stone-star columns reach to the heavens, but they are not straight. They curve at the base, glowing a violet color. The platform is flat and smooth, the ground a reflection of the skies above. I quickly walk over to the edge and gaze down. After a few steps I see the path to the crystals, though it does not look like I would not have been able to walk the distance in a day. Everywhere is a sharp decline. There would have been one way to get here.

"How-"

_The mountain approved of you. Even if you completely failed to climb all of it._ Starshadow snarks.

"Shut up." I grumble under my breath as I head back to the center. Starshadow shakes his head.

_Do I have to add a bit more magic for you to see?_ Starshadow comments before I see a humongous figure in the middle of the circle, bent down to look at me. I freeze. His face just has a circle around where his face would be with a jutted chin. There's gold around his wrists, very similar to how Starshadow loves to wrap around my wrists, except the figure has two and a crescent necklace with the tips pointing up to the stars. He wields a great staff with the tip aglow with what I would only describe as the heaven's light itself. I can only have one thought about the figure in front of me.

_How in the name of the Isle Shadows did I miss a being as huge as him?_ Starshadow bursts into snickers. He struggles to keep himself contained, but it's clearly obvious he's amused. _Shut up you know-it-all celestial serpent._ I hiss. He just cracks up and almost falls off my shoulder laughing. Lucky for him, I felt generous enough to catch him before he fell off. I roll my eyes before looking back to the being.

"I apologize for my ignorance. I believe I'm still getting used to the flow of magic in me." I quickly apologize.

_No, that was just me holding back my magic so I could get to see your face when the Arbiter finally appeared before you._ Starshadow bursts into laughter again. This time, I let him drop. _Ow._

"You deserve that and you know it." I hiss at him before turning back to the being before us.

_**To be young and full of energy. I do not remember a time when I was as spry as you younglings are.**_ He intercedes before Starshadow says something that causes us to bicker again. _**I applaud you, young one, to have made it up the mountain and to have reached the pinnacle of Mount Targon. The Aspects have been watching. Now that you are here, stand before the Aspects and await their decision.**_ He booms in my head before he lifts his staff up to the stars. Starshadow and I watch silently, waiting for an Aspect to come forth. To our surprise, a few came down from the stars. A dog, a dragon, and what I could only describe a being of light. The last one seemed to be made of pure gold, glowing brightly against the starry sky.

"Hello, Leilah. I am the messenger of the Gods. I herald the seasons. And you would be an excellent champion for my powers." The dog barks out. The dragon next snorts.

"You would have never considered the girl if she wasn't a choice for Her. Back down and leave the Aspect alone. The champion is for her and you all know it." The dragon spits. His starry flames glow brighter in agitation. The golden figure snorts.

"This champion is for anyone to choose. Since there are more than one of us deciding to choose you, you may choose who you wish to represent." The golden figure's voice became extremely melodic. My eyes felt sluggish. I bob my head. Everything felt so hazy. The golden figure seems ok to me.

_LEILAH!_ Starshadow's call interrupts the cloud in my head. I shake my head, struggling to get the fog out. _That's it. BACK THE HELL OFF!_ Starshadow's glow is once more an angry red and he slides off my body to flair in front of me. He grows larger, large enough to coil around me. My foggy mind barely registers that he was protecting me from something. _Leilah! You got to listen to me! Every being here knows who you are supposed to be partnered to, and none of the Aspects want her to have any gains in the realm. Just stay focused on my voice. I'll try to hold them off!_ He continues to shout at the others, hissing at them to leave me alone and using his forked tongue to create some good insults. It truly helps keep my mind from feeling too foggy, though the Aspects before me do not like that.

"Oh, it's the star with no name. Would it not be better for you to choose an Aspect with some actual power, someone like myself? The Messenger can vouch for me, won't you dear?" Her melodious voice hums in my head again. The dog's rumbles in agreement. I grab my head and curl into a ball. Everything is hurting. Starshadow gives an even louder hiss.

_STAY OUT OF MY BEST FRIEND'S MIND!_ He snaps his head forward in an attack. The golden figure grabs him by his neck. Starshadow chokes. He struggles desperately, but he is hauled off. The golden figure hands him off to the dog. The dog grabs him in his mouth and pins him to the ground. _Leilah!_ His voice calls out for me desperately. The melody of the golden figure's voice grows stronger in my head. I can feel myself slowly collapse. Her voice is too strong.

"That's it dear. Just choose me, and all this can be over. We can take the star back to his home. Wouldn't that be nice?" She hums. My head jerks up and down. She sounds so nice.

_Leilah._ A young man's broken voice whispers in my mind. I frown. The voice is bothering the peace and tranquility I have.. _Leilah please._ There he is again! He sounds so sad. Why is he so sad? I don't want him sad. "He's not sad, little one. Now, come join me." The voice soothes. I smile and slowly climb to my feet. _Leilah please! Don't do this! Don't leave me!_ His voice leaves a shadow of doubt in my mind. A shadow? Starshadow!

The voice changes from soothing to enraged. My head aches at the new noise, but I shake it off. I turn around and run to Starshadow. He might be close to his power source, but he's still not a huge part of the sky. His power is much less than that of the dog. He's flickering, struggling to stay large just to keep the dog from eating him. I briefly glance at the dragon that is left.

"Please, don't just stand there! HELP HIM!" I scream before I run right at the giant dog and slam my tiny body into his paw. He momentarily stops trying to eat Starshadow and flicks his paw away, sending me sprawling back towards the golden figure. The tunes grow louder in my head. She's sending so many temptations in my head that my knees buckle from them. I still shake my head and stagger back over to the dog. I weakly pound my fists against his paw.

"Let him go!" I choke out. Golden figure's charms are getting harder to ignore, but I have to save Starshadow. My vision blurs. I see a red ribbon being wrapped around something light blue. I don't stop trying to get the dog off of Starshadow though. I don't stop until I can't lift my arms anymore. Even then, I still try and reach out for him

"Star… Shadow…" I whimper. Before I black out, bright colors flood my view. I barely hear an enraged shriek and an alarmed hiss before I pass out.

_Leilah! Leilah, wake up!_ A familiar voice calls to me. My head is still pounding though. _Leilah you have to wake up! Please! You're my best friend! You can't leave me!_ The voice sobs. Starshadow. He's...crying

"I'm not going anywhere, Starshadow." I groan before tempting to open my eyes. I quickly close them shut at how bright everything is. My head is killing me.

_Leilah!_ Starshadow's cry, while happy, does not help.

"Starshadow, please. My head is killing me." I moan before turning on my side.

"Well, child? You still have not picked." The same soothing voice from before has me freeze. I snap my poor head up to see that they are all still there. The dragon is watching everything with a critical eye. The dog growls and stands in front of the golden figure. There's only one difference between before and now.

A beautiful woman made of light ribbons kneels next to me. She seems to be watching over me. Her robes flow and sway with all the colors imaginable. Her hair sparkles like the stars are shining through her colors. Her eyes are a beautiful blue and green. Though it's not one blue and one green eye. There's a flow in her eyes as well. There's blue and green in one eye, a clear distinction between the colors. They ripple as well. Her voice soothed my headache.

"Ah, Andromeda. Always wanting to spite me." She sweetly says.

"Aurora. I thought you didn't want this one." The golden figure snaps.

"Andromeda, if you thought I would want to miss the arrival of my chosen one, then I'm afraid you're more blind than your clear color blindness." She comments cheerfully. Andromeda snarls. "Or could it be that you still hold a grudge against me just because I never went along with the capture of Aurelion Sol?"

"I'm only glad you didn't get to warn him in time!" the golden dome head spits. The figure next to me drops her sweetness and turns to me.

"I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to make your choice on who you want to represent. Time is not on our side when gold-for-blood wants something." She quickly whispers.

"I heard you, you miserable cretin! There's a reason why we shoved you beneath us! You aren't an Aspect!" Golden figure shouts. The color collage whips around.

"Luckily, you were never one to decide who would be an Aspect or not. Leilah, quickly dear." light show urges. I feel Starshadow nudge my arm towards collage lady.

"I choose her!" I yelp while gesturing to the lady next to me.

"You just condemned yourself!" The golden lady shrieks. The dog howls as they both disappear. I sigh in relief that with their disappearance, so goes my headache. I blink at Starshadow. He's tiny again, like after the encounter with the mindsplitter. He's also flickering, but he's not dimming like he's about to poof on me. I sigh in relief.

"Thank you, Leilah." The lady next to me tells me.

"Um. You're welcome? Aurora, was it?" I ask, still fuzzy from passing out.

"Yes, that's my name." She chuckles. I groan. Starshadow slithers his way up to my cheek to nuzzle it. I smile and look down.

"Starshadow! You're… I don't know what you're doing right now but it is probably not good if you are leaving trails of light on my clothes!" I cry out as I examine his head. There's puncture wounds right where the dog's mouth grabbed him. I growl in fury.

_I'm fine Leilah. I'm more concerned about you! Andromeda's a charmer. She would have had you begging to be her champion. I'm surprised you didn't choose her immediately!_ Starshadow tries to comfort me. He constantly nudges my head, clearly relieved.

"Starshadow? Did you give him that name?" Aurora interrupts our moment of comforting. He lifts his head up to see his old friend. He also proceeds to drip more light out of his wounds. I pull off my scarf and carefully dab his wounds. My scarf soaks it up. I sigh, but I feel better when his oozing slows down. _Leilah, you're embarrassing me._ Starshadow teases. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, I gave him the name. He just seemed like a borealis, a sort of shadow of the stars. Well, that's how I've always seen borealis. So, that's what I gave his name as. Starshadow." I reply to Aurora verbally. She smiles before looking down at him.

"Are you happy now?" She asks him. He nods.

_Much more than when I was up there, thanks._ Starshadow replies.

"I will tell Father what I have seen." The dragon interrupts us. We all jump and turn to the fire star in front of us. Starshadow shyly slithers a bit closer to him.

_Are you mad, brother?_ Starshadow sounds so unsure. The dragon shakes his head.

"Not at all, little brother. You were wasting away up here. Father would be glad to see you found a way to shine." The dragon tells us before he too disappears in a cloud of starry smoke. We all just stare where he was for a bit. That's when Starshadow jolts like he remembered something.

_What about you, Aurora? Are you going to be ok being around those bullies?_

"Don't worry about me, Starshadow. I was always closer to Runeterra than the others. I'll still be closer to you. Especially now since Leilah would bear my powers. Only if you agree, Leilah?" She turns to me. I bite my lip.

"Is it the right thing to do?" I ask her. She tilts her head.

"I don't know if it's the right thing or not, but you are the kind of person I would want to walk around Runeterra. I'm a guide, if you will. A beacon of hope for anyone who has lost their way. I'm the idea in the sky that when all things are lost, look to the heavens and they get hope to keep going. You did that with Pantheon, Taric, even your friends. You are a beacon of hope to them. I think you have the potential to be a beacon of hope to everyone. You are kind, you listen, and your stories help." She tells me.

"But they are just stories!" I protest. Honestly, these are token attempts, but I still want to know exactly why me.

"Stories are iconic, they bring hope. Yes, they are real people, but their feats, their legends, that's what people look up to. And that's what you are, what you can be. An ordinary farmer girl that could accomplish extraordinary things. So, I have a question for you. You picked me because I was Starshadow's choice and a way to protect you. Do you, Leilah, choose to be my champion?" She offers out her hand. I look into her eyes and I understand. My stories to my friends are not stories. They're tales that inspire people and give them a purpose. I smile and grab her hand.

A glow washes over my body. I feel magic sink into my core, and the knowledge of how to use it sinks into my mind. I sigh before raising my hand and swiping it across the stars. Colors burst where my mind has placed them, and I draw Starshadow in all his beautiful glory. I smile.

_Oh, things just got really interesting._

* * *

_As the chapters go on, Leilah will be meeting everyone, through their worst, best, and just coincidence. It's going to be an incredibly long story, so I hope you are prepared for a really long haul._


	13. New Looks

_You ready for things to never be relaxing?_ Starshadow asks me while we both examine our new appearances. Starshadow's almost the same as before, but he has a line of white outlining the top of his head. He also turned a bit of a teal color. Well, teal is my favorite color, so maybe it's his bond with me that's made his color change from the normal Mount Targon gold to teal. My appearance has certainly made a sharper change.

My eyes simply just captivate me. They are the same colors and shape as Aurora's eyes are. My hair has also changed to a starry night sky. It never stops swaying, like a gentle breeze or a water current is flowing through my hair. It's filled with purples, blues, and greens. If I didn't have magic to see my hair, I would probably think I am missing half my head. My face is glowing a little bit. My scarf that was once pure black has changed to a bright blue. Starshadow's blood on the scarf just turns into decorative starlight. My clothes from below have also changed. I'm now wearing a dress made of silk and also the color of teal. It fits my body comfortably and flows around the air as much as my hair does. I frown. My scar is gone. Any impurities I had from before are gone too. It's very odd. I feel like I'm the same person as before even if I don't look like it. I don't know how I feel about it.

_Leilah?_ Starshadow interrupts quietly. I shiver, feeling a bit lost.

"What's with you? I thought you would have wanted to scare the living daylights out of me?" I tease lightly.

_Leilah, what's wrong?_ Starshadow pops his head out of my neck collar to look at me directly in the eyes. I frown.

"How can you tell if something's wrong?" I retort.

_Because one, you're usually happy to argue with me and mutter under your breath what an annoying snake I am, and two, since you became the Aspect, your own magic has been flowing into me._ He explains. I raise an eyebrow.

"So, does that mean that you can get to that huge size of a snake whenever you want?" I choose to focus on my own magic flowing into him. I don't want him to die if he feels the need to protect me.

_I'd rather we work on training your magical core, but in dire circumstances, yes. We don't need both of us being out of power. I'd need to draw from you in order to keep myself from disappearing if I want to reach that size. With how new your core is, I would only be able to last in that state for a second. We need to grow your magic core before we try to train it. I guess we should go to Ionia._

"Ionia? Really? We get to explore Runeterra!" I squeal. Starshadow shakes his head.

_Stop getting off topic. What's bothering you?_ Starshadow redirects our conversation. I sigh.

"Fine. I guess I'm feeling odd because of how much the climb should have changed me. Even getting Aurora's powers, I still feel like me. Is that weird? Shouldn't I feel all powerful and strong and unstoppable and stuff like that?" I ask him. Starshadow snorts in my head.

_Well, you have changed the entire time you've climbed Targon. I'm not sure what you're expecting._

"Oh, yeah? Name one way I've changed!" I demand.

_Before, as a little village girl, would you have fought to help me?_

"Yeah. I fought for Taric to rest in my home against my parents' wishes."

_Fair. Would you have been able to fight off manipulation through magic before?_

"I never encountered magic before, I wouldn't know." I tell him, knowing he was trying to help but I am more amused that his tries are all basically useless.

_You've bonded with a celestial being, and you've confirmed that you can survive really rough situations._

"You know that isn't really a comfort."

_Then stop ruining my attempts to be nice!_ He snaps before he sighs. _Why do you feel like you should be different?_

"I don't know, I climbed one of the most notoriously dangerous mountains in the world and held off an Aspect. They all seem so personality changing! But why don't I feel any different?" I rant.

_It could be that regardless of everything, you still kept to your beliefs. Even when we had that argument, you were still willing to find an answer and understand, even if I wasn't talking. You helped me. You helped Taric. You helped Aurora. You are someone who helps as much as they can, regardless of what they are capable of. I think that alone is what matters._ He reassures me. I give a soft smile.

"I think our bonding did you some good. You aren't as mean and snarky as you were before." I whisper while crying.

_Oh, I can still be plenty snarky if that's what you want._ I laugh at Starshadow's usual brazen attitude while we start to climb back down the mountain. _From what I remember, most Aspects don't have to climb back down. Just your luck that you got stuck with an Aspect that isn't the best at traveling._

"WOW! I'M SO GLAD YOU SURVIVED!" Both Starshadow and I shriek at Zoe's unexpected appearance. Starshadow even enlarges himself to my height, though that immediately causes black spots to appear. I sink to my knees. I can feel Starshadow pulling on my magic. It feels like he has a solid grip on my stomach and twists it harshly, squeezing me dry. I start to dry heave.

_Leilah, who is this?_ Starshadow demands. He's starting to flicker in his attempt to remain big.

"Zoe. Aspect. Twilight." I choke out before throwing up. Starshadow instantly releases his hold on me and my stomach no longer feels like jelly. I groan and do my best to lie down away from the new pile of sick.

"Ewwwwwww. That's so gross. And this is the thanks I get for bringing my new best friend to meet my other best friend?" Zoe prattles on. Starshadow, back in his normal small shape, slithers up to my face and curls up right on my nose.

_Right. Sorry. She scared me so bad I thought you were in danger and reacted instantly._ Starshadow's apology does nothing to calm me down.

"You… were a star… when Zoe… became an… Aspect… The hell… made you… not recognize...her?" I moan.

_Well, I was watched by the rude Aspects the whole time. I think I get a pass._ Starshadow snarks. I just remain a terrible mess until all my discomfort and pain become more tolerable. I crack an eye open to meet Zoe's up-side-down face.

"Zoe, while I greatly appreciate you coming to see me, could you please level your face to be straight with mine? Starshadow's magic pull from me hasn't quite-" I whip my head to the other side and throw up again. "OK… Starshadow… New rule… No magic use… Until we actually… Learn how to… safely." I cry.

_Agreed._ He instantly bobs his head before nuzzling me gently. I can feel his worry in the back of my head.

"Well, I'm glad you're up. I found something really cool and shiny for you to take a look at! Think of it as your first grand adventure as the new Aspect of the Borealis!" Zoe chirps happily. I freeze.

"Already? Can't I have a moment to, you know, get my head straight? It's pounding right now." I plead. Zoe starts doing loop-de-loops that make me feel nauseous again.

"Yep! It's time to get going! Besides, I doubt you want to actually climb back down this thing. That's just gross." She sticks her tongue out at the ground. I contemplate it.

"Just so I'm getting it right, you are offering me a way off the mountain without actually climbing back down?" I ask. She nods happily.

"Definitely! So, you in?" She offers her hand again. I look down to Starshadow and give a sigh.

_I hope you know what you are doing!_ Starshadow hisses in my head as Zoe hauls us over to the base of the mountain. It's very close to where my village lives. Of course, my nausea from Starshadow's teleporting does not help me here. I collapse and just curl into a ball, completely miserable. The light of day is just not helping. _I warned you._

"There's a difference between warning and hoping I know what I'm doing." I hiss out. Zoe just floats around my head before sighing and proclaiming she's bored.

_Not really._

"You are taking foreva! Come on, I wanna show you the sparkly darkly thingie I found!" She grabs my hand and forces me up. I moan, but I allow it. I feel better standing up anyway. I follow the flying teenager over a a hole in the tree. I frown and look around the area. This lone tree in the middle of the forest is the only tree that's huge. It's easily the tallest tree in the area. _What's making it so big?_

_My thoughts exactly. I don't trust this._ Starshadow helpfully comments.

"Where did you find this sparkly, darkly thing again?" I repeat what she called it to make sure she doesn't mistake what I'm asking for.

"Right inside there!" She points to the root of the tree. I can make out a hole big enough for my hands to reach in. I create a light in my hands and guide the ball inside. Sure enough, there is a dark sparkling object inside. It looks to be a ring.

"What do you want me to do with it again?" I ask her.

_Something's not right about this, Leilah._ Starshadow does not sound happy. I frown.

"I want you to pick it up! It's not suppose to be in this realm anyway, so can you go get it? I hate dark places! Make my skin crawl!" She swoops through the air again. I'm getting a headache trying to follow her location. I shrug my shoulders.

"Alright. One ring of not such good things coming to you." I sarcastically say while reaching in. The moment my finger touches the ring, I watch in horror as black and red ooze quickly covers my arm.

_Leilah!_

The next thing I know, I wake up again. The sky changed to dusk while I was unconscious. I groan and rub my head. I can't believe that on my first day as an Aspect, I've managed to make my body feel so miserable.

_No… Kidding. You aren't the only one who feels like crap._ I hear Starshadow talk, but it sounds off. He sounds darker, deeper than before.

"Starshadow? Where are you?"

_That… Is the last time I take a hit for you._ I feel real scales push against my wrists. I stare in fear when a black snake with red eyes slithers out. There's a red circle on his head with a red outline of the top. Wait a minute…

"Starshadow?" I ask tentatively.

_What?_ The snake turns to look at me before he freezes too. _Leilah... Are you ok?_

"What do you mean, am I ok? You're red and black! Are you ok?" I yelp. My hair flows into my face and I gasp before grabbing it. Earlier, it was starry. Now, it's black. I can see the stars and the trail they leave behind, but the rest of my hair is black. My scarf has darkened too. It's navy blue. I quickly turn back to Starshadow.

"Is there anything else that's different?" I quickly ask. Starshadow had been looking at his own body to examine his scales. He turns back to me and gasps.

_Leilah… Your eye. It's red and black and cracked. You're not glowing anymore either!_ His voice cracks as he wails. _Why didn't I just swallow the damn ring in the first place!_ That reminds me...

"Where's the ring!" I yelp. We both look back into the tree. Our eyes widen.

The ring is shattered. There's pieces that have embedded themselves into the tree from the impact of the blast. We watch as the pieces dissolve into dust and vanish.

"What… was that thing." I hear Starshadow gulp.

_Whatever it was… We were influenced by it._ I look at him

"You said you took the hit for me? I remember there being an ooze racing up my arm."

_That wasn't ooze. That was a soul racing into your body. I grabbed the ring and then… I don't remember._ I just sigh and start to cry.

"Whatever it was, I don't really want to know right now. I just want to go home. Can you coil yourself back around my wrist?" I whisper. Starshadow makes some rather painful noises as he repositions himself onto me. I struggle to my feet and we begin to walk home.

The sun has nearly set when we are spotted by the villagers. It takes them a moment, but they recognize me. I can hear them whispering to each other, proud that one of their own climbed, afraid why one of their own looks so weird. Starshadow gently squeezes my wrist, trying to comfort me. I reach my other hand across and subtly pat him back. I already look unusual to the villagers. What would they think of a black snake?

"Leilah?" I hear a familiar voice and snap my head around. Geras and Lye are standing in front of me, carrying some bags. I smile. They drop everything. Their equipment clatters as they give me a hug. I start crying and hugging them back.

"Leilah!" Lye cries happily. I give a watery laugh. Geras reaches over Lye and gives my head a ruffle. We just stand there for a good long while, happy to be seeing each other again. Eventually, they go over to pick up their bags. They hand off their bags to some of their neighbors, telling everyone that they were taking me back home. They wrap their arms around my shoulders and we set off for my little farm.

I tell them about my adventures. I tell them how I survived a monster attacking, how I struggled against sickness, even how I met Soraka. I didn't mention Starshadow yet. He was happily dosing on my wrist. I didn't want to disturb him. I also didn't want the boys to raise an alarm. I don't know how anyone would treat me anymore. I was the town storyteller. Now I'm the town Aspect. Will they despise me? Will they try to protect me too mch? I feel myself getting more and more anxious as we keep walking. The stars were coming out when we finally reached my home. Seeing the stars, I remember that I have something to show them. I gesture to the boys supporting me to stop.

"Watch this." I whisper to them. I wave my hand and suddenly a bright borealis appears in the sky. It contains all the colors of the rainbow. Geras and Lye stand there, stunned from witnessing such a beautiful view.

"You've been gone for three months climbing the mountain, and this is the only thing you can do?" Geras asks. I whack him in the shoulder.

_Watch it, fleabag. Leilah doesn't need more snark in her life if it doesn't come from me._ Starshadow hisses in my head sleepily. I tap my wrist against my body, silently telling him to shut up.

"Leilah?" I hear Mother call to me. I snap around and find my parents standing in the doorway. My tears start to fall again as I race towards them. They run at me as well, and we meet in a sobbing mess. Suddenly, I don't feel anxious over what has happened to me, I don't feel scared of what could happen. I feel safe.

_I'm home._

_Well, Leilah's back home! Mount Targon was certainly a doozy to climb, but it's paid off! First day as an Aspect and she's already struggling. Zoe's back and being her normal eccentric tricky self. Though, that ring is definitely interesting. Wonder what power was stored in there, and why did it break? Feel free to guess what it is in a review! I promise that it is lore based. I'm not gonna throw a curveball here._


	14. Back to Normal-ish

The next morning, I wake up in my room. I can't help but smile. It's been so long since I slept in a bed. I sit up and just enjoy being home. I missed my bed. I missed my room. I just missed everything. The sun is just starting to come up. I get up and just lean against the window. I almost forgot how wonderful it is to watch the sun rise. I giggle when I hear the rooster crow. It's like nothing has changed. I feel like I just had a dream. I close my eyes and just enjoy the moment.

_Why are you up so early?_ That's when I remember that I didn't have a dream. I am an Aspect now. I have a great friend in a celestial snake I named. He really doesn't like mornings.

"What's wrong with getting up early?" I coo at him. He's curled up on my pillow, partially under some sheets. I get the feeling that he's glaring at me.

_Too cold. Wanna sleep._ He grumbles before burying himself in the sheets. I frown.

"You're a celestial from the sky. Aren't you supposed to be unaffected by the temperature?" I question. His head peaks out briefly.

_I was affected by that strange infection, same as you yesterday. Whatever it is, I feel more grounded to Runeterra than I did before. So, I'm cold, bed warm. Bed warmth equals happy snake._ His head disappears. I hear him sigh in contentment while he rustles through the sheets.

"Can you still grow in size?"

_I thought we agreed on no magic use until we are trained._

"I know, but that magic is part of you. Thanks to that weird object in the forest, we don't know what we can and can't do anymore." I point out.

_Fine. I'll try._ That's all the warning I get before I feel a tug on my magic. I groan. He quickly stops. _Seems like the magic is working. So, it doesn't fully corrupt our magic._

"Not that we know of. Sure the Aspect chose me, but I now barely understand my abilities. The borealis from last night and the lights from above feels right, but there's more. There's definitely more. I can feel it. I just don't understand it." I contemplate.

"Who are you talking to, dear?" Mother asks at my door. I jump up and happily open it.

"I made a new friend on the-"

"Honey, what's wrong with your eye?" She interrupts, placing a palm on my left cheek. I know she's referring to my cracked eye. I bite my lip.

"I don't know. It's not irritated or annoying, but it is weird." She looks at my other eye.

"Oh, you had such beautiful eyes. You're so young. Why did you give it all up? Were we not enough for you." She starts to cry. I sigh.

"Mother, It's not that you weren't enough for me. I learned hard work and perseverance. I learned how to listen. I learned how to help. You guys gave me the best childhood. But I'm not a child anymore. I'm on the cusp of being an adult, and I'd like you to treat me that way." I softly tell her. She places both her hands on my face.

"You're right. Your Father and I, we just want you to be safe. We love you." She pulls me into a hug. I gladly return it.

_So, when do you plan on introducing me to your family?_ Starshadow calls out. I subtly slap my hand to my forehead.

"Mother, would you like to hear my adventures on the mountain?" I say instead. She pulls away.

"I think your father would also love to hear the story. Why don't you take your time and come down when you're ready? I'll make your favorite breakfast for you." She smiles at me while she walks away.

"Sounds great, Mother. I'll see you soon." I call out before turning back to the bed. Starshadow's head is barely visible. The only reason why I can see him is because of his black head against tan blankets. "Really, Starshadow? Did you have to interrupt that? I thought you were enjoying the bed warmth."

_I was. I enjoy your company more, and I'd like to know your parents._

"I never got to know yours."

_Mine is Aurelion Sol. It's not like you can easily meet him._

"I already kinda met him."

_Did not._

"Did too!"

_In that case, what's his favorite thing to do?_

"Contemplate world destruction?"

_...Well, that doesn't count..._

"Leilah, dear! I miss hearing you in the morning, though usually you are talking to someone and not something." Father startles me.

"Father! I'll tell you my story when Mother makes breakfast and we can enjoy a meal together!" I yelp. Hoping that I can stall him. Father is uncomfortable around snakes. Mother still fears anything that can burrow under the ground. I'm the only one that doesn't mind them. Thankfully, he thinks about it.

"Sounds like a good idea. I can't wait to hear everything." He leaves. I sigh before looking down to my reptilian friend snickering at my dilemma. I roll my eyes. "Ah yes. Super funny. You know my parents prefer to cut off snake heads before they talk to them?" I casually say. Starshadow shuts up.

_Um, could you make sure to explain it to them first? I rather keep myself alive without draining you._ He sounds so scared.

"Well, it depends on their mood. They seem relaxed this morning, so most likely you won't be sliced. Come out, you big baby." I smirk. His head comes out.

_I will end you._

"No you won't. Come on, it's breakfast. Do you need to eat?" I start putting on my clothes. Strangely enough, the fabric just turns into the teal dress I wore at the top of the mountain. I don't mind too much. I have illusion magic, so I can just change it when I want to. There's just something about pulling on fabric that I just can't help but enjoy.

_Surprisingly, I'm not opposed to this._

"Quit your megalomania. You're going to be meeting my parents. They don't take things like I do."

_You mean with poor taste._

"Oh you are asking for it." I tease and offer out my arm. Starshadow glares balefully at it.

_No._

"Yes"

_No. They will chop my head off._

"I was teasing. Maybe. Come on, they want to meet you!"

_No, they think I'm an inanimate object._

"Well, they are going to hear about you anyway."

_I'm comfortable._

"Deal. You're getting out of that bed one way or another. I'm not opposed to just picking you up."

_You drive a hard bargain._ He relents. He slowly hauls his small body around said arm.

"Do you need to dust your scales?" I ask him sarcastically.

_Now that you mention it…_

"We're coming!" I yell down to my parents, interrupting him. I bound down the stairs to the most amazing smell ever. I happily skip over to the table where they laid out my favorite breakfast. Oats with fruits. I kiss their cheeks good morning. They watch me with a smile as I plop myself into my chair and happily dig in. Food from home has never tasted so good.

"Honey, we heard you talking to someone. Did you say they have scales?" Mother gently starts the conversation. I choke slightly from the suddenness. Starshadow takes the opportunity to help me out. Of course, with him being a black snake with a bright red head, he's easily seen.

"SNAKE!" Father yells and bares a knife. I quickly hold out my hands to calm Father down. Apparently, they are not relaxed enough this morning to meet a snake. Starshadow just bobs his head on my shoulder, not sure of what to do.

_Did I do something wrong?_

"I hadn't introduced you to them yet, reptilian brains." I hiss under my breath. Mother is staring at him, pale as possible. I'm worried she might faint.

"Leilah, honey, there's a snake on your shoulder. Stay still, we'll take care of it." Father makes his way slowly to me. Starshadow starts to shrink.

_Please don't kill me!_ I hear him plea. I stand up and hold Starshadow in my hands.

"Father, wait! This is my friend! His name is Starshadow! I met him on my climb up Targon! He's a really good friend and I think you'd like him!" I blurt out as fast as I can. Father slows his advance.

"How can you be sure? It's a snake!" He yelps when Starshadow appears out of my sleeve.

"Um, good to meet you sir. I'm Starshadow, Leilah's best friend and bonded." Starshadow hiss. Father freaks and attempts to slice him open. Mother just faints. I snap my arms back before Father lands a blow.

"Since when can you talk?" I demand at Starshadow.

"Hello, I'm a celestial? I can talk whenever. I just like thought speak. Hard for you to lie to me with thought speak." He gasps out, frightened from everyone's freak out. Father once again attempts to grab him,

"That thing is a monster!" He declares. I finally snap.

"EVERYONE FREEZE!" I scream and my magic acts accordingly. Images of ice appear over Starshadow and Father. Strangely enough, my illusion made them freeze, like it was not a true illusion, but magic that affects them physically. _Not the time to dwell on it. Definitely need to diffuse the situation first._ I take a deep breath.

"Alright. Father, when I unfreeze you, you will go over to Mother and help her up. Starshadow and I will wait until everything is calm before we tell our story. Got it?" I snap. I feel Starshadow agree with me. Father makes a noise. Thankfully resigned, not angered. "Alright, I'm going to let you go. No freaking out, ok?" I release them. Starshadow gives a small shiver and slithers out onto the table. He curls up, trying his best to relax and get warm at the same time. I can still see he's still tense from Father's reaction. I shiver from his cool scales. Even then, I can't ignore that he was nearly killed from my Father's overreaction. I place my hand on his tail, hoping that it would calm him down. It works a little bit.

Father shivers as well before eyeing me warily. He goes over to Mother and wakes her up. Both shakily take a seat. Father looks angry while Mother just looks resigned.

"Apologize, Leilah." Father snaps.

"For what?"

"For freezing me!" He booms. I flinch. Father's not the kind of person that yells, so it's not a very comfortable experience. Starshadow sees my flinch and glares at Father. Even if he is shivering, he's still my best friend who has my back.

"Excuse me, sir, but you were being quite unreasonable. Who in their right minds would expect a rational conversation if they are brandishing a weapon! Leilah was simply diffusing the situation as quickly as she could." Starshadow sticks up for me.

"Stay out of this, monster." Father snarls at him.

"No. As I said before, I am Leilah's bonded." Starshadow fights back.

"You desecrate my daughter!" Father yells and reaches for the knife. I quickly magic the knife to the table. I can feel him slowly start pulling the knife up. _My magic must have been exhausted quite quickly from just a little moment!_

"What? No! I've been keeping her safe!" Starshadow protests.

"You claimed to have bonded with her!" It finally clicks in my head what Father is saying. I immediately blush.

"Father, he's not my boyfriend! We're more like really good friends! Siblings!" I yelp. Father looks at me curious while I feel Starshadow's understanding and horror.

"He bonded with you." Father will not stop focusing on that. Starshadow fidgets from discomfort.

"Sir, I am a celestial being. What I meant by bonded is more like a soul-sibling bond. She's my best friend. Had we both been celestial or runeterran, I'm sure we would be more like siblings!" He blushes. Father stops pulling on the knife.

"He has done nothing awful to you?" Father asks, still on edge. He doesn't sound ready to stab Starshadow anymore.

_Don't even try joking!_ I struggle to not wince when Starshadow pleads loudly in my head.

"He has done nothing, Father. If anything, he's saved my life!" I state firmly.

"How could he possibly save your life?" Father snaps. Both Starshadow and I turn to each other, wondering how we are going to explain everything.

"Honey?" Mother interrupts. Everyone turns to look at her. "Leilah did say she was going to tell us what happened to her. Why don't we let her speak?" Both Starshadow and I sigh in relief at Mother's reasoning. It seems like Mother has distracted herself from the fact that he's a snake to pay more attention to what happened to me. Father still looks tense, but he relents. He sits down. I start my tale from when Zoe just dropped me off. I decide that since I can easily use illusion magic, I would put it to good use and create a visual for them too.

They are captivated by my story. They watch as I struggle up the mountain. When I met the man who saved my life. Mother screams when she sees the firebrand. They are tense when I tell them the feeling of being that close to death. They coo over the stellacorn. Father tenses when he sees me so sick. When Starshadow appears, Father watches him intently. Starshadow was a perfect snake as he watched over me. They gasp happily when I'm cured by the greatest healer in Runeterra. The Mindsplitter moment gets mixed reactions. While they do not like me in such dangerous situations, Starshadow almost sacrificing his life to save me made them look less scared. They smile when we run into Taric again, the man looking happier than before. The fight between the Aspects and Starshadow had them actually cheering for my best friend. When Aurora appears, they jump for joy. They watch as I become the Aspect. I stop my tale here. I exhausted myself from using so much magic. They look amazed that I went through something like that. They remain silent, absorbing my tale.

"Starshadow, was it?" Father breaks the silence. Starshadow perks up.

"Yes, sir?" Starshadow sounds a little uncomfortable with Father addressing him. I don't blame him. From nearly being stabbed to Father moving to stand before us, I'm wary too.

"Thank you for protecting my daughter. I apologize for my reaction this morning. Would you like a rat or something?" Father hugs him. I'm happy. Father accepts Starshadow into my life. That's all I could ask for.

"If you don't mind, I'd like a taste of your cooking? I've never eaten anything before." Starshadow replies, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation. Mother makes him a small bowl and gives him a spot on the table. He takes a nibble before his head disappears into the oats. "This is food? Why have I never, in all my centuries, tasted this!" His body is slowly disappearing into the oats the more he eats. Eventually, he digs himself out. We all laugh as Starshadow has an oat hat from his journey.

"You are supposed to eat it, Starshadow. Not wear it!" I tease him.

"Hush you. This is delicious! I am going to have to try everything now!" He cheers before digging right back into his meal. I groan.

"Great. Now anywhere I go I may lose him because of his newfound stomach." I groan. We finish our breakfast. Starshadow moans helplessly from his full stomach. "That's what you get for being greedy, you crazy serpent."

"You didn't finish your story, dear." Mother interrupts. "Starshadow was so bright in your images. Your hair, your left eye. How did they happen?" I squirm in my seat, wondering how I was going to answer her.

"Um, we don't know." I say. Father raises an eyebrow.

"You don't know?"

"Well, Zoe teleported us to a great big tree with a magic ring inside. We touched it, passed out, and woke up looking like we do right now." I give a short explanation.

"I do not like this Zoe. She keeps teleporting you to dangerous places. How irresponsible." Father states. He's running his fingers over Starshadow's head. Starshadow leans into the petting in delight.

"She's not bad, just eccentric. She brought me back down to the village after all."

"Why do you defend her, dear?" Mother interjects.

"She's an Aspect too. She knows things. Personally, I'd rather have her on my side than not. Besides, she pushed me to become the person I am today."

"And who are you today?" Father asks.

"I don't know. I'm an Aspect with something else there. I don't know what I can do now, but I know I'd still do my best to help anyone who needs it." I state.

"Well, I'm not sure about you, but this farm won't take care of itself. Starshadow, would you mind helping my wife in the kitchen? I'm sure she'd love to hear more about your stories and is happy to feed you." Father switches. Starshadow perks up.

"I'd love to. Will Leilah be safe?" Starshadow checks. Father smiles and looks at him with approval.

"Starshadow, dear, she's lived this long with us, I'm sure she can live on this farm a little bit longer." Mother teases while gently scooping him up. I hear them chat as they go onto Mother's chores. I follow Father out onto the farm and begin my own. It's odd. I've only been gone for a while, but I do everything like I never even left.

"Leilah!" Lye calls out to me. I wave them over. We chat during our work. I show them my adventures on Mount Targon as well. I struggle to breathe from the excessive amount of magic I used. Lye looks terrified. Geras was hugging him the whole time. When I finish my story, Geras looks jealous and Lye is relieved.

"Man, I wish an Aspect would choose me. Though, I doubt I'd be as funny looking as you." Geras grumbles

"Geras, don't be mean! Leilah just got home! Let her relax!" Lye protests. I smile and hug them both.

"I'm just really glad to be home." We all nod and continue my farm work. Eventually, they leave as the end of the day approaches. Father and I return to the house. I can't help but blink at what I can only describe as a black ball of moans.

"Starshadow?" I ask. There's a louder moan from said ball.

"I don't care, can I resize up a bit to digest?" He groans pathetically. I look over to Mother.

"I'm not at fault. I look away for a moment and he just swallows whatever's in sight." Mother claims.

"Starshadow?"

_It's true, but everything just looked so exciting to try!_

"Deal with it then." I scold him. Mother and Father look at us confused.

"Leilah, sweetie, he didn't say anything." Father claims. I smack my head.

"We talk through thought speak sometimes. He thought everything looked so good and needed to try them. I'll go put him on my bed since it seems like he's not eating with us." I excuse us and bring him to my pillow. I return to the table and we just enjoy each other's company. After dinner we all retire to our beds. I smile as I watch Starshadow sleep off his food coma. _Today was a pretty good day. I'm really happy everything went so well. I hope tomorrow is just as relaxing._ I close my eyes.

When I wake up again, I'm not in bed. I check on my clothes and see that they are the same clothes that I've been wearing from yesterday. I also see that Starshadow is still happily asleep. I sigh in relief. I'm not alone and definitely not nude in front of anyone.

"Where did you come from?" A high pitched boy's voice demands. Starshadow bolts awake and starts hissing at the intruder.

_Who goes there!_ He snarls. I quickly try my best to calm him while keeping my eye out for the boy.

"What do you mean?" I ask him.

"One second that place is clear, the next you're here. What did you do?" He snaps.

"I really don't know." I frown. Where am I? The boy in front of me has a messy ponytail and a blue tunic, so not from Targon. I look around. Beautiful fields for as far as the eye can see. I don't see Mount Targon. _So, where are we?_

"Hey, look! It's the loser that stands outside the school every day! You're never getting in! Your brother is way better than you!" A group of boys taunts the boy who found me. I frown.

"Hey! That's not very nice!" I yell back. One of the boys picks up a rock and throws it at me. It slices my cheek.

"Leave her alone!" The boy by my side runs at the other boys and starts to fight. He fights well. Both Starshadow and I watch in awe as this boy easily fights off the group of bullies. Suddenly another, older boy comes over. The group scatters. The older boy grabs the boy who found me by the arm and drags him away.

"Let me go, Yone! I was winning!" The boy struggles. "Did you see me take out that big one." The older boy, Yone, may have been pulling the younger away, but I follow, careful to not be seen eavesdropping.

"I saw you dishonor yourself" Yone coldly dismisses the boy's claims as he throws the boy forward. Yasuo growls in anger.

"You fight!" Yasuo protests.

"When I have to, not when I want to." Yone firmly puts down the boy's attempt to argue.

"You don't have anything to prove." The boy taunts. Yone tenses and looks away from the boy. He seems to be trying to calm himself.

"There is always another fight, Yasuo." Yone tells him. "Finding it proves nothing." Yone rests his hand on Yasuo's shoulder. For a moment, it looks like Yasuo heard him. But then Yasuo harshly shoves Yone's hand off.

"Uh, excuse me?" I interrupt. Both boys turn to me.

"Hey, you're the weird girl I found! What are you doing here!" Yasuo starts to stomp towards me until Yone stops him.

"Calm yourself." Yone tells him. "Though I do have to admit, I am also curious as to why you are here." He investigates.

"I would love to know where 'here' is." I retort.

"Ionia. We are outside a sacred school." Yone informs me. I blanch and quickly look at Starshadow. He feels the same way I do.

_How on Runeterra did we get to Ionia overnight?_

_I'm still curious to see if you guys can guess what affected Leilah and Starshadow. It doesn't have to be an actual name, that is an OC, but the ring's 'species', I think you guys can definitely guess._

_Leave a review and follow if you guys enjoy this story please! I'm happy to clear anything up and I love knowing that you are enjoying Leilah's adventures as much as I love writing them!_


	15. Welcome to Ionia

"I have no idea how I got here!" I squeal. Yasuo jumps. Yone just regards me quietly.

"How do you have no idea how you got here?" Yasuo demands.

"I went to sleep with Starshadow in my bed in Targon, and woke up to Yasuo yapping at me!" I yelp. Starshadow quickly slithers up to my face.

_Calm down!_ He shouts in my face.

"Excuse me! Calm down! I was back home for a day! One day! And now we're in Ionia outside a sword school and neither of us know how to get back!" I scream and break down. "I swear if it's Zoe again, we are going to have a rather firm chat over what she should and shouldn't do." I snarl under my breath.

_Yeah yeah yeah. Look, we just woke up. You're pissed off. And we have two kids in front of us trying to understand what your crazy ass is saying. Cool it!_ Starshadow snaps some sense into me. I take a deep breath to calm down before turning to the boys. Yone pulled Yasuo behind him while I was venting.

"I'm sorry for my outburst. I'm just… I'm tired. I was gone from home for months. I climbed a stupid mountain and got to enjoy one day with my family before disappearing on them. They must be worried sick." I finish with a murmur. I run my hand through my hair, causing the stars in it to sparkle for a moment.

"Woah! You have stars in your hair? That's pretty cool!" Yasuo attempts to dash out from behind Yone. Yone doesn't let him and grabs him by his arm again.

"What mountain did you climb?" He sounds so tense. I swallow.

"Mount Targon." I reply as firmly as I can. Starshadow turns his head towards the brothers.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Starshadow challenges. I lightly tap his head, telling him to reign it in. Yone's eyes widen.

"You are not that different in age from myself, and you climbed that Mountain?" Yone asks. He sounds stunned. I shrug my shoulders.

"I didn't want to, and I didn't climb all the way on my own. Starshadow joined me part way up. Either way, I didn't climb of my own volition." I grumble.

"Regardless, that is quite the feat. Come. I'll take you to the elders. Perhaps they can help you." Yone instructs me. Yasuo sticks his tongue out.

"No fair! I can climb any old mountain!" Yasuo whines.

"Mount Targon is not any old mountain. Legend says that's where you can touch the stars. You are certainly someone of interest." Yone contemplates. "Have you ever desired to learn a sword?" Yasuo glares at his brother.

"What about me?" Yasuo demands. For some reason, it sounds different.

_He sounds hurt._ Starshadow points out. _He wants to be with his brother._ I make up my mind.

"No. I'm not much of a fighter. I've never even held a sword, so I'm not sure how useful it would be for me to visit." I decline as gently as possible. "Why don't I spend time with Yasuo? If you're in school, I'm sure Yasuo could use some company." Yasuo gapes at me. I spot Yone's lips twitch. Up or down, I can't determine.

"I will go to the masters of the school and discuss what will be done with you. In the meantime, Yasuo, keep an eye on our… guest." He orders. He walks away. I turn back to Yasuo.

"Well, doesn't he have a stick up his ass." I comment lightly. Starshadow smacks my head with his tail. "OW!" I yelp.

"What makes you so special!" Yasuo bursts. I just run my head and look at him confused. "I've been waiting outside the school forever! The monsoons are going to be coming soon! What makes you so special that Yone is willing to help you out but not me!" His voice cracks at the end. I frown.

"I'm not that special. I'm a girl that someone took an interest in and I had to climb the mountain. I didn't have a choice in the matter." I confess. Yasuo looks at me angrily.

"Don't lie! You've touched the stars, haven't you? That's something that interests people!" Yasuo sounds more and more upset the more he yells.

"What's the matter, Yasuo?" Starshadow asks. Yasuo yelps.

"That thing can talk?" He balks. Starshadow snorts.

"I've always been able to talk, silly boy. Now, why are you upset?" He demands. I slap his head back in return. _Rude._

_You started it. He's a kid. He's scared and needs comfort, not insults._ I snap back to him through thought speak. Starshadow sighs before giving a subtle head nod.

"Will you just answer the question?" He sighs exasperated. Yasuo looks ready for a fight.

"I'm not telling you anything!" Yasuo declares. Sounds like he wants to be a challenge.

"You've already told us quite a bit. You're good at fighting. You want to help. You're hurt from your brother paying more attention to us than to you. You want to be as strong as him. You want him to be proud of you." Yasuo gasps loudly. I smirk. Looks like I'm getting somewhere. Starshadow picks up my train of thought.

"You protest and got angry at us because Yone offered us help to his school. You wait outside everyday. You don't belong to the school, do you?" Starshadow finishes. Yasuo glares at us even harder.

"You don't know anything!" He yells and tries to run away. I use my magic and freeze his feet to the ground. His sandals feel harder to hold onto. For some reason, I feel how much magic is going into my will. I ignore it in favor of keeping Yasuo from running away.

"I know you're lonely and you look up to your brother. You want to be in the same school as him, don't you?" Yasuo stops fighting.

"So what!" He bursts around. I don't even have a chance to blink before Yasuo attacks me. He throws his whole weight on me and forces me to the ground. "Are you going to make fun of me for it too? Cause I've already heard it all before! I don't need anyone else to say I can't do it!" Yasuo screams. It takes a drop of water on my face to realize that he's crying. A child a little younger than I am is crying. He sounds so sad. _I have to help._ I wrap my arms around him and let him cry. He immediately does his best to fight me.

"How can I make fun of you when I've known people that have had to face challenges that seem just as impossible?" I whisper softly. Yasuo freezes for a moment. I take the opportunity to finish. "All those that climb Mount Targon risk their lives to be called worthy of the beings at the top. There's a lot of failures. I don't think any of them are silly for trying to climb. I admire their determination, like I think your determination is admirable." Yasuo stops struggling. Starshadow squirms his way to face Yasuo.

"We aren't making fun of you. We just want to help." Starshadow adds. Yasuo, in a quick movement, shoves me off him.

"Get off of me, you weirdo!" He yelps. I groan as his shove slams me back into the ground. We stay still for a moment. I hear him murmur something.

"What did you say?" I moan.

"Sorry for hurting you!" He shouts. I wince from how loud he's being.

"It's all good. Nothing I can't take. Just give me a minute." I wave him off. I lift my hand up to my cheek to wipe the blood off from that brat kid's stone. I jerk my hand away in surprise. There's no blood, no cut. That is not a part of illusion magic. _What the hell?_ Yasuo picks up on my missing cut very quickly.

"Where's your cut?" Yasuo demands.

"I don't know." I murmur.

"You're weird."

"You've mentioned that before." We sit in silence for a moment. I just enjoy my surroundings. The sky's so bright and beautiful. The grass waving around me is wonderful.

"Can you tell me about them? The mount Targon climbers?" I hear Yasuo shyly ask. I look at him.

"You are remarkably quiet right now, aren't you?" I comment. I stand up.

"Shut up. I just wanna know." He grumbles.

_He's embarrassed he cried on you. Duh._ Starshadow spits at me.

"Alright, I'll tell you about the ones that I know climbed." I smile and start. I even try exercising my magic by using it to show him my tales. He doesn't interrupt once. By the end of all three stories, I'm exhausted and struggling to stay upright. Yasuo lets me lean against him to support myself. "And that's… That. Taric and… Pantheon and.. Mine."

"Don't forget about me!" Starshadow chirps up. I feel my eyes begin to close and I start to fall forward. Yasuo and Starshadow both yelp and try to catch me. Larger hands do the job instead.

"You are certainly open about many things. That may get you hurt one day." Yone murmurs to me. He picks me up and sets me on my feet.

"Maybe, but at least I tried to help." I whisper back. Even with Yone's help, I'm barely standing. I'm so tired that I don't even yelp when Yone sweeps me off my feet to carry me.

"Is she ok, Yone?" Yasuo asks. I jolt a bit.

"Starshadow?" I croak out.

_I'm here. Yasuo's carrying me. I'll watch over you while you sleep, ok?_ Starshadow comforts me. With that, I let myself pass out.

I come to with a groan. Peeking through my lids, I see that it's nighttime. I'm under a roof. From the dim light shining through the walls, I'd guess that I'm in a shack. I place my palm against my forehead, moaning quietly from the head ache I still have. I hear Starshadow's moans in my head.

_Oh, the food, the food! It's delicious but hurts._ I turn to my side to see Starshadow with a bulging stomach, not like the ball he was last night. I giggle under my breath, hearing that he talks in his sleep. I turn to the other side to see Yasuo deep asleep. I quietly get up, doing my best not to wake up either of them. My limbs are still shaky from earlier. Eventually, I move far enough away from Yasuo that I don't risk waking him up. Every muscle in my body aches. It takes me far too long before I'm outside. I'm panting from exhaustion. I look up to the stars and smile. A new part of the world, and a new sky to gaze at. All the stars are different. It's beautiful to me.

"Are you alright?" A soft voice whispers. I jump, flinching from my soreness. "I did not mean to scare you." Yone murmurs quietly before taking a seat next to me. I groan.

"I'm ok. Still new to magic. All that storytelling earlier exhausted me." I inform him.

"You used magic for quite a long time. Does it always exhaust you so much that you can barely stand?" He asks.

"Are you referring to my stories or how long I've had magic?"

"Is there a difference?"

"Actually yes. I only received magic around two or three days ago." I inform him. His eyebrows rise up.

"You are quite an interesting girl." He repeats himself.

"Thank you for the compliment." We sit in silence for a little bit. I start to cough from how dry my throat is. He moves quietly to a shelf in the shack and grabs a bottle. He comes back and offers me the bottle. I accept it and drink the water from within. It's not as crisp or as cold as my home's water, but I feel better. "Where's the water from?"

"The last time it rained. Why?"

"It tastes so different from water from my home. You'd think that water is water, it wouldn't taste any different. My home's water is crisper and cooler, this is sweet water to me." I explain.

"Interesting. I may have to ask the travelers about it sometime." Yone contemplates. I nod before taking another sip. I start choking, surprised at the taste of the water. It tastes like water from Targon. Yone pats my back to help me. "What has surprised you?"

"Taste it." I decide to show him instead of tell him. He raises an eyebrow at me before taking a sip. He looks surprised for a moment. He glances at me in concern.

"How are you feeling?" Now that Yone mentions it, my muscles ache even more. I groan and just slump all the way down.

"My muscles all ache, like I just ploughed a hundred fields in one day." I complain. Yone gives a small smile. I tilt my head.

"Enough about me, what about you? You're so quiet all the time. I mean, Yasuo's a child, but you, you don't act like a child. You act like someone who has seen the world fall." I tell him. Yone smile grows a little bit more.

"The world falling? That is quite an interesting take. No, I have not seen the world fall. I merely prefer to be calm anyway." He takes another sip from the bottle. "This is how that water tastes in your home? It's chilly."

"Hey, enough about me and my home. I'm in a new place. Tell me stuff!" I plead. Yone shakes his head.

"I do not know you well enough. That reminds me. The elders of my school wish to see you. I told them that you had climbed the mountain. They want to meet with you. Training an Aspect in the art of the sword would certainly raise their reputation."

"If that's their reasoning, I'd rather be on my own." I spit. Yone looks taken aback. "I'm a simple farmer. I'm not a fighter." I protest.

"You climbed a mountain known to take lives. You had to have learned how to fight." Yone argues back.

"When did you start to listen to my story?"

"Around when Starshadow became large enough to fight off a mind splitter."

"I never fully climbed it. I was teleported to almost the top. I never had to fight anyone. All I did was watch and survive." I emphasize that all I did was watch.

"You still reached the top and fought off celestials to help Starshadow."

"I wouldn't say I fought them off. In fact, I would say I did nothing."

"You still refused to stop. That's the important part." Yone presses. I shake my head.

"Even if I was all that, I do not want to train with them. They want to help me to raise their school's reputation. I'm not a poster girl."

"There is a swordsman who specializes in using the wind to create illusions." Yone tempts me. I frown.

"Only on one condition." I argue.

"Depends on the condition." Yone returns.

"I want to hear your story." I weedle. He sighs.

"Very well. My Father died when I was young. Yasuo is my half-brother. His Father abandoned us. Mother raised us. Mother died recently from disease. For as long as he can remember, Yasuo and I have not separated. A master of the school asked me to join. I joined less than a month ago. That's my story." He tells me quickly. I pout.

"That's really not much of a story." I protest. Yone smirks.

"I'm not that much older than you. I've never climbed a famous mountain. Can you say I have stories worth telling?" he points out. I sigh.

"Fine, I'll go to the school tomorrow. Happy?" I grumble. Yone gives a very quiet chuckle.

"You do not need to make me happy." He adds. I glare at him before giving up. We just stay there, not moving or talking for a while. Eventually, Yone gets up. "Do you need help to return to bed?"

"No. I'm happy just being under the stars. Something about them makes me feel better." I reach up and call for a borealis to appear. It flows lazily in the sky.

"You really shouldn't be doing that." Yone comments before he walks back into the shack.

"I know, but it's so beautiful." I whisper. I fall asleep shortly afterwards.

"What are you doing out here?" I jolt awake from Yasuo's face right in mine.

"Good morning to you too." I mumble before covering my eyes.

_He makes a good point._ Starshadow adds. " _What are you doing out here? Your magic core is very weak._

"I woke up and needed some water. Couldn't sleep for a bit, so I just went out to enjoy the stars."

"Ready, Leilah?" Yone interrupts. I groan and turn over.

"Ready for what?" Yasuo asks.

"She's coming to the school with me." Yone tells him.

"What about me?" Yasuo sounds so hurt. I force myself up and pat his shoulder. I don't know how else to comfort him. Even with just that small action, I feel so weak. My magic core feels another drain and Starshadow grows a bit in size to help steady me.

_You're exhausted, Leilah. The journey can wait._

"Normally, I would let you rest, but the masters want to meet you as quickly as possible." Yone adds in. I nod sluggishly and hold out my wrist for Starshadow to climb on. He stops pulling magic into himself and just slithers up silently. I start to crumble when Yone catches and let me lean on him.

"Let me come with you!" Yasuo hurries over and wraps my arm around his shoulders. "At least until we get to the school!" He pleads. Yone gives a small nod.

"Very well. Thank you, Yasuo." He sounds proud of his brother's actions. I smile. We make our way to his school slowly. My body just felt so weak that half the time Yasuo and Yone were basically dragging me along. According to Yone, it took us five times longer than he would have gotten there walking at a normal pace. I just smile and repeat that my magic use was worth it to see Yasuo so interested. Yasuo would grumble over how annoying I am, and Starshadow would just doze off. He'd occasionally talk to Yone, asking about foods in the region. When the sun was midday, we finally reached the school. Yone and Yasuo let me stand on my own.

"This is where we must part, brother." Yone sounds so sad.

"But I'm your brother! I should be with you!" Yasuo protests.

"Brother, you must not let your emotions cloud you." Yone cautions. Yasuo looks so mad.

"I'm just as good at fighting as you are!" He yells. I place my hand on Yasuo's shoulder.

"Sorry to interrupt, boys, but can I have a word with Yasuo?" I ask.

"I'd also like a word with Yone, if you don't mind." Starshadow sounds serious. That's quite rare for someone like him. I turn my head to him.

"What is it?"

_I want to surprise you with different foods to try here._ Starshadow tells me. I roll my eyes. Him and his newfound love of food is unbelievable. Yone nods and takes the snake with him. I rotate with a groan to Yasuo.

"How upset are you that you aren't with your brother?" I ask him. Yasuo sighs.

"I'm not a child. I can be without him." He grumbles.

"Maybe, but you look up to him alot. You want to be as great as him. Be worthy of being called brother?" I prod. Yasuo flinches. "It's ok. I want to be as great as my idol too. You just can't give up, ok? If the temple doesn't want to see your worth, make them."

"But the monsoon season…" Yasuo sounds so unsure.

"So what about a little rain? Never give up. You'll be as great as your brother as long as you want to be, ok?" I poke his leg. He gives me a smile.

"OK. I hope you don't leave anytime soon. I'm going to see you in there, got it? No disappearing on me like you appeared." He demands.

"No promises, so you better be super stubborn so they let you in." We just laugh at ourselves. Yone and Starshadow come back to us. They look so confused at us giggling without reason. Yone shakes his head and picks me off my feet.

"I hope to see you soon, Brother." Yone sounds so sad. Yasuo just smirks.

"You will. I'll see you in there, no matter how long it takes." Yasuo states. Yone gives him a proud smile.

"I'm amazed. You have some semblance of patience." Yone teases. Yasuo babbles angrily as we walk away. We go into a forest. After a little bit of time, we emerge into a temple. My eyes widen, trying to take in all the beauty of the temple. Several monks come to greet us.

"Welcome back Yone. I see you completed the task we have set for you." The monks turn to me. The oldest one speaks. "Welcome, Aspect of the Borealis. We are honored to have you here."

"Pleasure is mine." I respond in kind. "I was quite surprised to hear your invitation for myself and not Yasuo." I poke at them a little bit.

"You have completed a challenge. Yasuo is talented, yes, but he is too wild, untamed for us to train. We will not invite the boy until he tames himself." The head monk firmly declares. I narrow my eyes.

"I do not doubt that in a short time, you will be, as we put it in Targon, eating your words." I say as pleasantly as I could. I push Yone's chest, letting him know I wanted to be let down. He carefully sets me on my feet. I take a step forward and promptly start falling. _I really need to get my magic under control._ All the younger people on the side quickly rush to my aid.

"Are you alright, Lady Leilah?" One of the servants asks. I grimace.

"No, no Lady Leilah's, I'm just Leilah. And I overused my magic recently, so I'm still a bit weak." I explain. The monks nod their heads.

"Rest for the week, pupil. We need you recovered enough to be able to learn." The lead monk gently orders me. "We will assign you a room." I nod and take a moment to look around..

_I wonder what I can learn from this school._


	16. Temple Life

"I really don't think this will work!" I yelp as one of the pupils I've been studying with swings his sword at my tunic. I found out on my first day of training that my clothes will shift to whatever I need in the moment. A dress would not be helpful for me in a fight. A tunic and leggings are. The master of Illusion swordsmanship watches nearby.

"You must believe. Part of illusions is to make your opponent believe in them and stop themselves from fighting. Now make them believe!" He barks out. I throw my illusions again. I feel my clothes dampen with my sweat as I struggle to keep up. The boy in front of me swings his sword and slices through it like butter.

"I really don't have time to make it real enough for me to believe in it!" I yell at him. The student in front of me freezes for a moment before going at me harder. I'm the only student in the school that can actually get away with yelling at their senseis. None of the others like it, especially the boy attacking me.

"You will not always have time. Believe you will stop his swing!" My sensei yells. I duck under his weapon and cast freeze at his feet. His swing pulls him off balance since his feet can't move and he topples forward. I lean against my knees, gasping for breath. My sensei comes to us, seeing our spar is over.

"That was not the task at hand, Leilah." He tells me sternly.

"I'm… really… trying here… It's just… He swings...so fast." I huff and puff. My sensei makes a noise in his throat before I see him reach for the sword at his side. My eyes widen and I quickly get ready to dodge.

"If you think his swings are so fast, perhaps you should try mine." He calmly states before pulling out his sword. I widen my eyes to see so many versions of Sensei surrounding me. I gulp. "Perhaps through fear, you can learn." He starts an attack behind me. I dodge to the left, where a Sensei is slashing at me. I throw my magic at the illusion. It turns into nothing, but that doesn't mean I don't get hurt from his attacks. There's a new cut on my right arm, my dominant arm. I grit my teeth and just keep doing my best to dodge. Swing, duck. Downward strike, sidestep. Stab, cut. It's a never ending cycle. I can feel more and more cuts landing on my skin, all light enough to cause a scratch, but not enough to kill me. All his attacks irritate me to the point where I feel my magic build with my frustration.

"ENOUGH!" I scream, my magic bursting out of me like the blizzard on Targon. I collapse to the ground, sore from the massive amount of magic I just used. Even with all the magic I used that froze all the Sensei's, there's one sensei that got away. That one Sensei is pointing his sword at my chest. _Of course Sensei dodged it._

"You need to learn control, young one!" He scolds me and taps the top of my head.

"I'm not a combat person, Sensei. I don't like fighting." I moan.

"You will not always meet people that do not honor your desire to remain peaceful. Learn how to freeze an attack and use less magic with it." He smacks the top of my head again.

"Fine." I groan, feeling nauseous. It's weird. I never had this much trouble with magic from Mount Targon until I touched the ring. That's when everything started to go wrong. I miss when my magic didn't make me sick, but I also know that without the ring's magic, there would be no physical part to my spells. It's a lose-lose situation.

"Why are you so sick, Leilah?" Sensei asks me.

"I really don't know. My best guess, Aspect magic does not merge with whatever else I touched." I groan. It takes a while, but the nausea eventually fades. "I found a ring in the middle of the woods near my home. I touched it, and then everything went crazy." I reveal. I haven't even told the brothers about how I got my weird eye, just ignoring that it truly affects me until I can't anymore.

"Our spars will be put on hold then." Sensei declares. "Come. You would learn best from someone who has mastered meditation." I take my sweet time climbing to my feet and following him through the halls. Other disciples look at me angrily. I rub the back of my head. I'm well known for somehow not being able to hold a sword properly and swing it, yet still being a part of the school. These monks must really want the prestige of mentoring an Aspect, or they just see something in me that others don't. We come to a meditation chamber. My eyes widen in shock at seeing Yone and my snake in deep conversation.

"I promise I will guard her to the best of my ability." Yone tells him.

"That's not good enough. Until you can't lift up your sword anymore." Starshadow says vehemently.

"Who are you protecting?" I interrupt. Starshadow squeals and whips himself off of Yone and onto the ground. I laugh at his misfortune.

"The greatest treasure of all. A special Ionian dessert." Starshadow grumbles. I roll my eyes.

"You've had almost every single meal possible that the monks have prepared for you. What else can you possibly want, you glutton?" I tease him.

Sensei coughs. I stand up straight and quiet down.

"I shall let him teach you how to meditate. Do not come back to my side until you no longer feel weakened by a small spell." He orders me before leaving. I wince at his directness. "Yone, the child before you has neglected to add that something has been afflicting her since you have met. Do your best to help her." He walks off. I turn towards Yone with a tense smile. Yone does not look amused.

"He has a point. You feel sick by a small spell?" He asks me. Both Yone and Starshadow have a disapproving face.

"It's only been recently?" I try to defend myself.

"How recently?" Starshadow demands.

"You can tell, you overgrown serpent." I snap.

"Answer me then." Yone interrupts.

"Since I pushed myself too far showing stories to Yasuo. It wasn't so bad until I got to Ionia." I tell him. Yone looks intrigued.

"Take a seat, Leilah." He instructs. I sit down in front of him. He holds my hands gently. "Close your eyes." I follow his instructions. "Feel your body, your mind, slow down, and be at peace." I let myself float in his instructions. My nose starts to itch. I desperately want to scratch it. I feel Starshadow's tail scratch my nose and I feel better. "Focus Leilah." I relax back into my mind. "Can you see your magic?" I frown, doing my best to see it. _There's a light, but it's so dim and cut up._

" _It looks so sick." I murmur, concerned._

" _How does it look sick?" Yone asks._

" _The lights, they are dim and disappearing, but it doesn't look like it's dimming on its own?" I try to figure it out._

" _Can you help the lights so they no longer disappear?" Yone's voice reappears. I look to the dim light and touch it. The light glows a little brighter for a moment before a wave of blackness overwhelms it. At the same time, the nausea comes back. I glare at the substance._

" _Starshadow, can you help?" I murmur. Not even seconds later, Starshadow's in my mind. He gasps at seeing how weak it looks. I can't help but be surprised at his form in my mind. It's the beautiful bright light that he was on Mount Targon. He hisses at the darkness. I finally realize that the darkness is black ooze that's overwhelming me. It's very similar to the ooze that came out of the ring._

" _Sorry, Leilah. It appears that the ring is affecting you more than I wanted it to. One second." Starshadow snaps at the ooze. It backs up from his fangs, and I don't feel so sick. Starshadow continues to snap at the ooze, backing it into a small corner of my borealis. I feel better than I have in ages. Starshadow looks like he's about to eat it. For some reason, I feel fear shoot through my body._

" _Wait a moment, Starshadow." I hold him back. He stops his attack and looks at me. I kneel down in front of the little darkness. It shivers. "Hello there. Are you the magic that's been messing with me?" I ask it. It stops shaking for a bit. It bobs up and down. "Are you lonely?" It bobs again. "I'm sorry. You're lonely, but you're making me feel really sick whenever I use magic." I tell it. It somehow shrinks even smaller. Starshadow is his glorious huge self in my mind watching this tiny speck of black carefully. "Don't go!" I yelp. I feel both nonhumans stare at me._

" _Are you crazy, Leilah? This thing is messing with you!" Starshadow snaps._

" _It's messing with me, but it hasn't been actively hurting me, have you?" I ask the speck. It weaves side to side frantically. Starshadow hisses bitterly at it._

" _Go back to where you belong!" He snaps with his fangs. The speck shivered violently before diving under the now glowing lights. I glare at him._

" _What was that for?" I snap._

" _It's not welcome here." He hisses before he gazes at my magic. He relaxes and shrinks down to the size I've always known him to be._

" _I don't like how you're keeping things from me." I warn him. He sighs._

" _Sorry, Leilah. It's the thing that's afflicting both of us. I've been trying to keep it in check. This part snuck out while I was distracted and decided to hurt you." He coils into my magic and sighs happily. "I took the brunt of it, but some of it's magic is still in you. It's been making you sick this whole time. Maybe with this cleansing, you'll feel much better." He hums in the stream and relaxes. I roll my eyes._

" _You are so overdramatic!" I sigh._ Something starts to shake my shoulder and I come back to the meditation chamber. I see Yone before me, looking worried. I smile and shake it off. "Starshadow helped me fix my magic, see?" I try to speak energetically and use some illusions. An icicle forms in front of me and I don't feel sick, but when I try to put my hand on it, I go right through. I frown and keep swiping it before sighing.

"It appears that whatever was afflicting you was also the thing that was making your illusions more solid." Yone observes.

"No kidding. Ugh, this is going to be really tricky." I moan. Sensei rushes back into the room.

"Apologies for the interruption, but the monsoons are in sight. Leilah, as this is the first time you have encountered a monsoon, I must ask that you stay by Yone's side." He tells me.

"Yes, Sensei." I nod respectfully. Sensei leaves. Yone takes me back to my room to watch over me. I look to the storms in the distance and gulp. They look a lot bigger than storms in Targon.

"Do not worry, Leilah. I will be by your side for the entirety of the storm." Yone comforts me. Starshadow peaks out from his sleeve.

_EXCUSE ME! DID YOU COMPLETELY FORGET ABOUT LITTLE OLD ME?_ Starshadow shrieks in my head. I instinctively cover my ears from how loud he is.

"There's no need to scream in my head, Starshadow! It's hard to forget about a talking serpent that only ever wants to eat food now anyway!" I yell at him.

_No need to be so loud._ Starshadow whines.

"Why you…" I try and grab him. The slippery annoyance just dives right into Yone's clothes to avoid being caught. Yone looks surprised and a bit uncomfortable with Starshadow's choice of hiding. "I hope I get to try that dessert right in front of you!" I snap.

_You wouldn't dare._ Starshadow challenges.

"Try me."

"You are certainly close, are you not?" Yone observes.

"Well, as close as we can be when we've only met each other a few months ago." I reply absentmindedly as I wait for Starshadow to appear.

"Well, she remembers a few months. I've known her for centuries." Starshadow says muffled.

"How is that possible?" Yone asks.

"Something about soul cycles. I don't care, get your butt out here!" I snap and try to pin his body to Yone's. I never realized how close I had gotten to Yone until I plant my palms firmly on his pecs. I freeze and turn a bright red. Literally bright as my emotions were high and apparently I started to use my magic unconsciously. I hastily pull my hands off. Starshadow laughs in my head. I throw him a glare in his general direction. "I will take that dessert." I threaten.

_Worth it!_ Starshadow falls out of Yone's sleeve, writhing in laughter. I dive for him. If Yone just stood aside, I would have managed to strangle the serpent. Of course, Yone has to intervene. He grabs my waist and pulls me away. I struggle for a moment, trying some hand to hand fighting techniques I've learned. Of course, Yone's a skilled fighter, and easily pins my arms to my chest. I glow even brighter when I realize that I am essentially wrapped in Yone's arms. That sets off Starshadow off again. Both Yone and I glare at the snake.

"Do you mind? This is your fault!" I hiss at him.

_I am loving this!_ Starshadow keeps laughing. I hear him start struggling to breath with how much he's laughing. _You are blushing so hard! Oh, This is priceless, I never imagined you as a blushing girl!_ He cackles.

"Well, I'm surprised you couldn't imagine me as a blushing girl, considering I am one!" I blurt out angrily. Starshadow laughs harder. It takes a moment, but I finally realize that I just said I am blushing and struggle even harder to get out.

"Leilah, calm down. You know he is just riling you up." Yone whispers in my ear. I glow so brightly I have to close my eyes slightly.

"Sure I know that, but it really doesn't help the situation." I mutter. I feel Yone nod his head.

"Let me take you somewhere more peaceful, ok?" He murmurs. I feel really warm and nod, resigned to doing whatever Yone suggests in order to not deal with Starshadow right now. He releases me from the hold, but keeps my hand. We are about to leave Starshadow behind when his laughter stops.

"Where are you going?" Starshadow demands.

"To let her see her first Ionian rainfall." Yone calls over his shoulder.

"Can I-" I quickly slam the door in his face before he can join us.

"Perhaps not when you have aggravated her so." I can hear a small smirk in Yone's voice. He takes me to a little courtyard. I lean against a fence and just enjoy the view, even if the clouds are not comforting to me. "It seems you do not have a good handle on dealing with him when he is excitable." Yone speaks softly behind me.

"No, I do. It amuses us both really. He's like a brother to me, even if I've only known him a short time. He's my best friend and when called for, he'll protect me. He also knows when he pushes me too far." I respond. Yone comes over to my side.

"I can see that in him. He does care for you." Yone watches the clouds with me

"I'd guess that it's because of our bond." I shrug my shoulders.

"Bond?"

"I met him on the mountain. I gave him his name when he first fell. Since that happened, I kinda accessed his magic until I got my own. I thought you already heard it." I note. Yone looks at me with a very soft smile.

"I heard the mindsplitter and beyond. I did not know you gave him his name." He comments.

"Honestly, if I knew how much trouble he'd be, I'd have named him Trouble." I joke. We both chuckle for a moment. Yone touches my face tenderly. I freeze, not knowing where this is going.

"How is your life at the temple?" He whispers.

"Uh, not too bad. Besides everyone hating that I'm at a sword school and a dagger is dangerous for me to hold, Sensei's been on my case quite a bit, and I sometimes wonder how Yasuo is doing."

"Why do you wonder what my brother is doing?" There's an odd note in his voice.

"Because he's still a child and looks up to you. He loves you so much. I don't like the feeling in my chest the longer he's not here." I clutch my heart. "Every day, my heart feels heavier, like I've failed. And I can't help but think it's because of him not being in the school." Yone's hand slips from my cheek.

"You care more about Yasuo than me?" Yone's voice sounds a little bit clipped.

"I care about him like a friend would. What are you talking about?" I state, feeling very confused.

"Only a friend?" Yone inquires. I roll my eyes.

"Yes, only a friend." I repeat exasperated. He sighs.

"Interesting." He's looking at his hand in confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"Look." Yone distracts me as the monsoon rains start to fall. My eyes widen at how thick the rain falls. I reach my hand out and laugh when I hold a puddle in less than a second. My body starts to glow in my joy. I lean over the rail and get soaked. I glow brighter.

"This is amazing!" I start to laugh. Yone just watches me. I get the feeling that he's amused by my joy of the rain.

I hear a yelp towards the gates of the temple. I frown for a moment before gasping. _Yasuo!_ I leap over the railing and land on my feet. I hear Yone call for me to stop, but I don't. I race towards the entrance and out the door. There, I see Yasuo in the rain, soaking wet. I quickly try using my magic to create some sort of cover, but the rain just falls through it. I groan before shaking my head. I don't have a choice. I need to use that black speck of magic. As quickly as I can, I look into my magic core. I see my magic flowing very brightly, but I seek out the speck of black. It's hard to spot, but when I call out for it, it comes through the flow. I offer it my hand. "Please, I need your help for one task. Will you let me use you?" I ask it. The speck reaches out to me and immediately coats my magic. I snap out of my mind and quickly make a cover for Yasuo to stay dry under and dry his clothes. Oddly enough, these are no illusions, but I still have to concentrate like I would for my illusions. The nausea sets in as quickly as my spells do. I collapse, nearly blacking out. Only through sheer stubbornness and concern for Yasuo keeps me conscious. Even then, Yasuo has to dash out from under shelter and pull my limp body to where I could be dry. Once I'm safely under the cloth, Yasuo rests my head in his lap.

"Help!" Yasuo yells. He cries out for a little bit, begging for someone to help me. Yone comes running, followed by some of the other students and monks of the school. Yone is quick to try to scoop me up. I struggle to hold onto Yasuo's tunic, fearful that if I let go, he would be gone again.

"Why, Leilah?" Sensei demands.

"He's needed here." I groan. My vision is starting to black, but I refuse to let go.

"We did not accept him here for a reason." Another monk protests.

"He's Yone's brother… He's strong… He deserves… a chance." I breath out. I can see Yone's eyes widen and yell something, but my ears don't work. Eventually, neither does my vision.

_You stupid girl! How reckless can one girl be? 'Oh, I have a great idea! Let's use the magic that Starshadow fought back to help Yasuo!' Great idea, you bloody idiot!_ Starshadow's rant wakes me up. I can feel two people holding my hands and a snake coiled around my neck. I crack open my eyes. It's night time. Yasuo's head rests on my lap. Yone's seems to be in deep thought, but he holds my other hand. _When that girl wakes up, I'm tearing her a new one. She is in so much trouble, out cold for a week. Idiotic child._ I let out a strangled noise when I hear how long I've been out.

Yone's eyes snap open and look towards me. Starshadow's rant pauses the moment he hears me. Yasuo shifts a little bit, but remains asleep. Starshadow sticks his head right into my face. I jerk weakly away from him.

"You are in so much trouble, young lady." Starshadow hisses quietly. "I told you I had the power covered. Instead, you woke it up and could have killed yourself." I close my eyes and pretend to go back to sleep. Starshadow's tail smacks my cheek. I groan quietly in pain.

"Starshadow, I do not think that that is needed." Yone chastises my snake.

"Maybe it'll sink into the stubborn skull of hers that she is not to use that magic!" Starshadow snarls. Yasuo moans and shifts again. The boys who are awake tense for a moment. Yasuo settles back to sleep and everyone breathes out a sigh of relief.

"Perhaps this is the lesson that she needs. Let her rest." Yone reasons. Starshadow grumbles but nods in the end. He returns to a relaxed coil around my neck. Soon, I hear him sleeping.

'Thank you' I mouth to Yone. Yone gives a soft smile and leans over to kiss my forehead. I blink slightly from it. Yone returns to his seat and relaxes.

"Thank you for saving my brother. Rest now, Leilah. Yasuo and I will still be here when you wake up." He whispers to me before I hear his breathing slow. My eyes still feel heavy, so I close them and try to sleep. Only problem is that there's a thought that's bothering me.

_What is that magic that is making me so sick?_

_Hello my wonderful readers! Sorry, but she's not learning how to fight with a sword just yet. Maybe she will, maybe she won't. First thing to focus on is what is causing Leilah to be unable to swing a sword? Would that affect other inanimate objects too?_

_I also threw in a little Yone Leilah moment. Before I hear about how guys and girls don't fall for each other that fast, remember when you were a teenager. Younger ones, you'll see this soon. Do you remember your first crush? How fast you fell for someone? That is essentially what is happening here. Yone and Leilah are both teenagers, so this is kinda their attraction moment. Who knows how the future will pan out. Will Leilah and Yone actually get together, or will they choose to remain friends?_


	17. Sickness Sucks

_Stay in bed! You know that cold you got from using that magic and being soaked to the bone made you extremely weak._ Starshadow slithers around my feet as I sit up. I roll my eyes at him. A gentle patter of rain taps the ceiling.

"I've been in this bed for over a week! I think I've recovered enough to walk around a bit!" I protest. I move to get up and immediately have to catch myself from falling over. I'm already out of breath, but Starshadow's right. The massive use of that dark magic in my body has me feeling terrible. Being soaked in monsoon rain did not help. Yasuo, thankfully, did not get ill. The monks of the school are very annoyed with me for bringing him into the doors. I'm not about to let a young boy get so ill from standing outside in the rain for days at a time.

From what I've heard, my cold apparently was almost too much for me. Starshadow told me that I was almost dead a couple of times. When I woke up this morning, I didn't feel like I was about to die, so I decided to get up. Naturally, Starshadow is a worried worm until I'm back to feeling a hundred percent. His overprotective behaviour, while touching, is extremely annoying.

_You should still be in bed! The cold just broke this morning! That doesn't mean you've recovered!_ Starshadow almost twists himself around my ankles to keep me from getting up. Eventually, my arms give out. I yelp and collapse onto the floor. Both Starshadow and I are groaning from the impact. _Get. Off. Me!_ I feel a little nauseous as Starshadow grows just big enough to slither out from under me. He coils onto my chest and glares at me. _That is what you get for landing your fat butt on me!_

"I've been conscious for a week. I doubt I weigh that much." I moan.

"Hey, what are you doing out of bed?" I hear Yasuo dash over and try to pull me upright. I struggle to help him. He eventually pulls me onto my feet. I'm trying to stand by myself, but it's really clear that I'm being supported by Yasuo. "I mean… I'm glad you're awake… But you need to rest!" Yasuo grunts as he places me back onto my bed.

"I've been in bed all week! I want out!" I groan and try to get back up again. Starshadow takes it upon himself to sit on my chest. I glare at him.

"If you are strong enough to move me, I'll consider letting you walk." Starshadow offers. I glare and roll over. "That's not moving me!" His muffled voice calls from under me. I smirk.

"I moved you. You never said which body part I had to use." I smugly retort.

"I really think you should take it easy, Leilah." Yasuo interrupts. "You had us all worried. If it wasn't for classes and his studies, Yone would be here. You should really rest." Yasuo tries to keep me on the bed. I roll my eyes.

"Yasuo, be honest. If you were in my place, you'd be dying to get out." I tell him.

"Yeah…" Yasuo sounds a little unsure. I may be feeling a bit bad that I'm making Yasuo help me, but I really, really need to get out of bed.

"I'd help you out. Won't you help me?" I push a little bit more. Starshadow wiggles out from under me.

"If you help her while I'm getting Yone, you will be in serious trouble." Starshadow hisses and leaves out the door. Yasuo looks at me.

"Well, looks like you can't help me." I smirk and purposefully roll off the bed. Yasuo yelps and tries to catch me. I land heavily on the ground, enough to knock out my breath. "Ow!" I groan. Yasuo skids onto his knees and tries to pull me up. I wriggle out from his hold. "Sorry Yasuo, but you heard Starshadow. I don't want you getting in trouble because 'you helped me'." I mock Starshadow's orders. I know what he means, but I'm going to comply with Starshadow's words as much as possible.

"Really?" Yasuo looks at me like I'm crazy.

"He's hiding things from me. I'm not going to just accept his word alone." I explain.

"What's he hiding?"

"I think he knows what's making me sick. I'd rather know myself, but Starshadow won't tell me." I claim. Yasuo sighs.

"What do you want me to do?" Yasuo gives in.

"Just watch over me and make sure I'm not going to die on the floor." I tell him cheerfully before forcing myself upright. Every muscle protests. Even sitting up just causes me to pause to catch my breath. Yasuo just looks on, clearly uncomfortable.

"Yone's training right now. I don't know how long it would take for Starshadow to bring him here." Yasuo sounds so unsure.

"I don't want to risk you being in trouble." I murmur.

"Do you just want to go outside?" Yasuo asks. "We are in a medical wing. There's a courtyard not far from here."

"Not allowed to help me, remember?" I retort. Yasuo bites his lip.

"I may not be able to, but maybe someone else can…" Yasuo leaves the room for a moment. I sigh into the silence of the room.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, but…" I use the dark magic to make a cane for myself. My vision swims for a moment, but there's a semi-solid cane in my hand. I struggle to my feet, using the cane to keep me somewhat steady. Walking out of the room is painful. Thankfully, Yasuo is right. The courtyard isn't so far that I can't hobble my way over. In fact, there's a bench in the shade not too far away. Even if the bench is close enough that I can reach it, it's agony trying to make my way over. The entire journey, my head is spinning. Each step makes my nausea feel even worse.

"Miss! Are you ok?" A healer spots me struggling and races over to help me. I almost cry at her assistance. She helps me get to the bench and helps me sit. My vision has completely blacked out at this point, but I don't care. It's so nice to be outside. "I don't know why you want to come out here. The monsoon rains haven't let up yet." I hear the healer grumble.

"I just didn't want to be inside." I whisper. The healer makes a noise of annoyance before sighing.

"I will be back to bring you back inside in an hour, understand?" She demands. I make a noise to acknowledge that I heard her, and just listen to the rain fall. It's so comforting and soothing. I sigh and lie down on the bench.

"Leilah!" Yasuo's calling out for me. I will some magic that I got from the Aspect make the courtyard glowthe courtyard. Using magic after creating that cane makes me feel a little bit ill, but I don't want Yasuo panicking. It becomes bright enough that I can see the lights through my eyelids. Yasuo stops calling out for me. I guess he sees my magic. A few moments later, I hear light footsteps running into the courtyard. A second set of footsteps follow him.

_LEILAH!_ Starshadow sounds so pissed at seeing me lying on the bench.

_Shut up, Starshadow. I didn't want to be inside._ I reply in my mind.

_I don't care what you want! You are recovering! You will accept going back to bed this instant!_ Starshadow spits angrily. I feel someone's palm running on my forehead.

"What could have possibly made you want to come outside?" Yone asks me. I force my eyelids open. Starshadow's perched on Yone's shoulder. Yone looks extremely concerned. Yasuo's standing behind them, looking just as worried.

"I don't want to be in a room where people are sick. Just doesn't feel right." I mumble. Yone sighs before he stands up. Starshadow turns onto Yasuo.

"Why did you let her get up?" Starshadow hisses. Yasuo looks a little scared. Yone looks resigned. I struggle to sit up.

"Not his fault." I whisper. Breathing is getting harder. "You said… He couldn't help me. I didn't let him." I'm almost halfway up before I feel my arms slip. I brace for a harsh impact on my brain, but someone catches my head. A quick glance reveals that Yone caught me. Starshadow looks really mad now.

"You imbecile! You half-dead half-brained undeserving brat!" Starshadow spits. He continues to rant and rave about my terrible choices. I simply ignore him. My head's pounding so much anyway that I can't even listen to him. "Don't you dare ignore me!" He finally catches on that I'm just not paying attention to him. At this point his tail is whipping around.

"Enough." Yone's voice halts Starshadow in his tracks. "She might not have made the best decisions, but you attacking her will not help." I relax a bit after hearing that Starshadow grumble but quiets down.

_We are having a serious chat after you can walk around comfortably._ Starshadow threatens lowly in my head.

_Yes, we are._ I snap right back. Starshadow seems a bit taken aback at my aggression.

"Yasuo, thank you for watching her and getting me when you didn't know what to do. You did a good job." I hear Yone compliment Yasuo. I smile, hearing a little brother bonding going on there.

"Yeah yeah. I wanted to show her what I've learned while I've been here since she's been in bed for so long. I thought it would give her some entertainment. She's super stubborn." Yasuo brushes off his brother's words.

"Would you mind showing your techniques to Starshadow for a little bit? I think he needs some time to destress from worrying about Leilah." Yone hands Starshadow to Yasuo. Starshadow makes a distressed noise at being removed from my side.

"She's my bonded!" Starshadow hisses.

"She does not need to be lectured about it." Yone shuts him down. Starshadow droops slightly. He mumbles something. Yone says something just as quietly.

"Will Leilah be in too much trouble?" Yasuo interrupts.

"For now, no." Starshadow gives in. "When she's better, we will need to talk."

"Leilah said that you are hiding things from her and she really doesn't like it." Yasuo tattles. I roll my eyes.

"Well, she's not wrong. Leilah?" Starshadow's voice projects to me. I give a small moan. "I'm sorry for hiding things. I'll explain why after you get better, ok?"

_We talked about this on the mountain._ I tell him.

_I'm sorry. I know we did, it's just… This needs much more explaining that I can give you right now._ I feel Starshadow get lowered onto my chest. _Right now, you get better._ "Yasuo, why don't you try showing her some katas?" Starshadow suggests out loud. I peak my eyes open to see Yasuo look excited.

"Is she ok enough to watch?" Yasuo's worry is adorable to hear. I feel Yone pull me into an upright position. I groan and slump over. He pulls me against his chest and wraps his arms around me. If I wasn't so sick, I would be blushing quite a bit right now. As it is, I sigh in relief at how comfy he feels and open my eyes as fully as I can.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere and I did want some time outside. I'll try to stay awake, if that's ok with you? You'd probably be better at the katas then when I was." I joke.

"No way. You, bad at a kata?" Yasuo sounds so amused right now. I feel Yone chuckle.

"She almost sliced herself using a wooden sword.. We don't even want to try giving her a real one." Yone informs him. Yasuo laughs as only a child could laugh.

"That's hilarious! You, Yone, smartest sword student, spending time with someone who can't even hold one!" Yasuo cackles. He actually falls to the ground laughing. I roll my eyes.

"There's a few people in the world that should never hold a weapon. If I am to be one of those people, then I'll be one of those people. I'd rather not fight anyway." I explain gently.

"But what about when someone really wants to hurt you or people you care about? Would you fight then?" Yasuo calms down and asks me curiously. I wait a moment to think about it.

"Well, I'd do everything in my power to not have a fight break out. If a fight does, I have magic to distract and get people away, but in the end, I'd try and fight. Granted, I can't exactly use a weapon, so it wouldn't be a good fight in the end." I answer. Yone's arms tighten slightly around me.

"It's highly doubtful that you would ever be in a situation like that. Starshadow would most assuredly get you out of danger as soon as he senses it." Yone interjects. "How have your katas come along?" Yone changes the subject.

"Oh, right! Elder Souma saw me and told me to practice this!" Yasuo bounces up and begins his kata. He moves so fluidly, like a leaf in the wind. I smile and watch. Yasuo takes quite some time to run through his exercise, but it's so beautiful I don't mind. When Yasuo finishes, I try to clap for him. Naturally, my arms don't move anywhere, so I smile and try to nod my head to show my appreciation.

"That's quite impressive that Elder Souma took you aside and gave you a kata. How have your other katas been?" Yone certainly sounds impressed.

"All the other ones are kind of easy." Yasuo mildly complains.  
"They are the basis for all sword skills you will learn. It is much better to learn them now and drill them until you can do them without thinking." Yone lectures. He carefully leans me against the bench and moves to stand in front of his brother. "Shall we do a beginner kata?" Yone asks.

"Yes!" Yasuo looks so excited to be doing something with his brother. Both brothers begin to move in the exact same pattern. Every now and then, Yone would mutter something and Yasuo would make a small correction, but they look very in sync. Starshadow takes the time to come up to my neck.

_Want to join?_

"Ha ha, Starshadow. You're hilarious." I murmur quietly.

_I'm actually being really serious right now._

"Really?"

_Yasuo made a good point. How would you fight if I'm not there?_

"I doubt I'll be that far away from you ever. You're my best friend after all."

_I'd still rather you learn._

"Well, I wouldn't be able to learn in a school for swords. I'd have to go somewhere else."

_Then we should._

"What? I don't want to though."

_Because of Yone?_

"And Yasuo." I blush though, giving away that I'm really enjoying spending time with Yone.

_Uh huh. I'd really prefer you learn some defense techniques though._

"I'll ask Yone. Maybe he can help."

_Enjoying your time with Yasuo too, of course._ Starshadow teases me. I give a weak laugh. I feel my eyes begin to close. _You just rest. Yasuo and Yone are enjoying themselves, and I won't let anything happen to you. Just sleep._ Even though I'm still mad at him, I know he'd take care of me, so I let myself drift.

It feels like a second to me, but I wake up being carried by Yone. He's taking me back to the room I was assigned when I got here. Starshadow's talking to him, something about someone being followed. I'm too tired to really pay attention, so I just nuzzle his chest and fall asleep.

_Maybe I can get answers from him tomorrow._

_And with it, comes a new chapter! I'll be honest, as I am writing the story, I realized that literally anything and everything happens in 996 AD. EVERYTHING WITH ALL THE CHAPMIONS HAPPEN IN ONE YEAR! So, I made a decision. My timeline is going to be a tad edited. Each event should have it's own attention and not feel rushed, so 996 AD will probably be extended a few years. Hope you guys are ok with that! I also switched a few years because I like the order better. Sorry, not sorry._


	18. Recovery and Changes

_You should still be in bed._ Starshadow hisses at me the next morning. It's still dark out because of how much I slept, but I'm determined to get up on my own. I find myself putting my feet on the ground and able to stand up.

"Oh, I'm fine. The fresh air did me some good." I protest.

_You were unable to walk anywhere without help only two days ago..._ Starshadow is really grumpy today.

"I'm recovered, Starshadow. I appreciate your concern, but-" My legs start to shake and I'm forced to sit down. Still, that's not going to stop me. "But I want to be outside. It's still a new sky to me. Please Starshadow? We can have that talk out there too." I tempt him. Starshadow grumbles, but he slithers up to my arm. "Thank you, Starshadow."

_I'm only doing this because you proved to be extremely stubborn and resistant to people taking care of you._ Starshadow certainly does not sound happy that I've backed him into a corner like this.

"You were the one that broke my trust anyway! Remember when I walked in on you and Yone in the meditation room? I'm betting you were swearing him to protect me with his life. And yesterday, you said someone was following someone else. Stop hiding things from me!" I snap. Just that little speech almost sends me crashing to the ground if I didn't lean against a wall. It takes me a moment before I feel strong enough to stand and keep walking. Eventually, we make it to a balcony overlooking Ionia. Starshadow cracks when I rest against a railing.

_Fine, you want to know why I'm swearing him to keep you safe? Because out of every single Aspect there is, you are the most vulnerable. You are also the most precious. You hold the Aspect that literally represents hope. I cannot, no matter what, allow that to happen. I would give my own life to ensure your safety. I'd go against everything you tell me to do because you matter to the world that much. And I'm not above using your friends to accomplish that goal._

"That's a little over the top." I snarl. "My friends need to be safe too!"

_You are more important than all of us combined. Hope must never die._

"I'm just a farmer girl that was picked by someone at the top. I'm not that special."

_You are to everyone you meet._

"Agree to disagree in that case."

_It's true. Why do you think the school would allow an individual that can't even hold a weapon without maiming herself to stay?_

"No idea, and new topic. What about someone being followed?"

_I'm afraid that I can not answer that one yet._

"Is that why you want me to leave?"

_No. I want you to leave because of Yone._

"What about him?" I ask defensively.

_You've gotten very attached to the boy. You're immortal. He is not._

"His soul is. You practically said that."

_You would not be able to bear the agony of losing the current him. As I said, you are vulnerable to everything. You can never lose hope._

"That's not fair, Starshadow." I start to cry. "I'm just a girl. An almost seventeen year old girl that just wants some normalcy in my new life."

_You knew things would have been different anyway. You said so yourself on the mountain._

"I mean, yeah, things would have been different, but I'm still me! I still want to live a life, not afraid to meet someone new if they happen to catch my eye. That's no way to live!"

_But it's the safest way._

"Safest does not always mean living, Starshadow. You were safest in the stars. You came down to live a life with me in a world that holds death. Why come down?"

_Because I wasn't happy._

"Exactly! I can't live a life of not meeting anyone and making friends! That's not a life, that's a sentence!" I almost scream at him. Starsshadow takes a moment to think before his head drops.

_You're right. I'm sorry, Leilah. It's just, You hold Aurora's very being in your body now. She protected me for so long that I want to return the favor. But you aren't her, the understanding and accepting Aspect. You are Leilah, a stubborn girl that still thinks she's ordinary._

"I am ordinary. I smile, I bleed, I get sick. What's so extraordinary about me when even my spells are useless?" I protest.

_You are more extraordinary than you think._

"Whatever. Also, Starshadow?"

_Yes?_

"What's the black speck and what can it do?" I see Starshadow's scales puff up.

_It is a magic that should be left alone._

"Maybe it is, but it's still there. And it helps me alot. My magic can provide a sense of realism, not just a light. I need that in order to help defend others."

_You aren't Pantheon. You're a girl._

"Pantheon didn't teach me that I had to be strong physically. He taught me to be strong in my heart, to keep fighting when things are bleak, because that's the only way hope can grow." I reason. Starshadow sighs a second time in my head.

_Fine. Yone can teach you how to defend yourself. But we will need to move at some point. Aurora's soul won't let you stay in one place comfortably when hope is overflowing in one place and almost gone in another._

"What do you mean by that?"

_You proved it from yesterday. It might have been just you being stubborn, but you couldn't stay inside. You can't stay still now, always looking out, but you're not asking to leave this place. You're still happy being here. At least your abilities are still new enough that they won't trigger for every single event that needs you._

"How do you know that's Aurora's powers calling me?"

_Because you are a farmer girl, happy to be at home and seeing people come to you. Since when are you so antsy that even sick you can't stay still?_ I take a moment to think about it.

"Even on the mountain, I wasn't dying to leave the cave. I guess you have a point."

_Of course I do. I'm omnipotent._

"No, you are a spoiled snake with the maturity of a child."

_Who's going to cover for you when your powers fail then? What about when someone needs our help?_

"Well, I'll figure it out when I figure it out. Until then, I'm going to enjoy life around here. I miss my parents though. And Geras. And Lye. What do you think they'd be doing?" The sun starts to peak over the horizon. I rest my tired head onto my arms.

"Either you are asking myself or Starshadow for an answer." I squeak at Yone's voice interrupting our conversation. "As I do not know Geras or Lye, I'm assuming the snake." Yone walks next to me and rests his hands on the rail as well. "I did not know you watched the sunrise."

"I'm a simple farm girl in Targon. You always had to be with the sun to take care of the plants and animals. Though, Targon's sun somehow feels different now. It didn't feel so warm or comforting." I reply without thinking.

"Warm or comforting?" Yone remarks. I start to glow a light red color.

"Well, I live at the base of Mountain. It was always going to be cold." I mumble. Yone shifts his hand to tap mine.

"Comforting?" He asks. My glow brightens a bit

"W-w-well, um, A new place, new stars, new everything, It's all really new. Can you really fault me?" I squeak. "The sun, even a different color, is the same?" I curse my head from my stumble.

"Is that all?" Yone gently touches my body with his. I glow bright enough that I'm worried that some people might think the sun has already risen.

"Yes?" I squeak. Yone leans into my face.

"Are you sure?" His breath is incredibly close to my face. I'm having trouble keeping my mind clear.

"Yone?" Yasuo's sleepy voice cuts into our moment. I struggle to keep my blush under control while Starshadow just laughs on his back, hiding in a corner. Yone jerks away and creates a perfectly maintained image. If I wasn't still glowing, I'd say that the moment was a dream. I still might. "One of the teachers wants to see you." He yawns. He stumbles to the rail and into my side. I wince and stumble. Yone is quick to stabilize me.

"Did he say what for?" Yone asks.

"An assignment for you. There's a beast somewhere close. That's all they'd tell me. Oh, and they said Leilah would go too." Yasuo mumbles. He starts to fall asleep.

"Wait, me?" I squirm.

"Why Leilah?" Yone asks, concerned.

"Don't know. Didn't tell me, just told me to tell you about your assignment." Yasuo almost falls to the ground asleep. I just barely manage to keep him upright.

"Alright, Yone and I will go to the elders and ask what the assignment is. We'll take you back to bed first, ok?" I ask him. He groans and shifts to stand up. I half hold him up and half support myself. "You look like you could use some sleep."

"You should be resting too, Leilah. Don't think I can't tell when you are struggling to stay up." Yasuo slurs. I glow a little bit.

"Maybe, but I really can't stay still. Besides, the elders called for me too. Shouldn't keep them waiting longer than getting you back to bed." I pull Yasuo with me. Starshadow curls around Yasuo's neck. Yone guides us to Yasuo's bed and we both put him to sleep. Yasuo is quite happy snuggling into his pillow. Yone smiles down at him. We just enjoy the silence until I feel like we need to leave.

"Will you watch over my brother, Starshadow?" Yone asks.

"Well, you did me a favor, and I suppose I trust you with Leilah, though if she comes back with a single scratch I'll bite you." Starshadow curls up on Yasuo's bed. _Stay safe Leilah._

"With that settled, we should go. The elders wish to talk to us." I straighten and almost fall down. Yone catches me and sighs.

"You are certainly stubborn when you wish to be." He sounds amused.

"Hey, we got an assignment. Never really had that before that is from a human!" I chirp. Yone leads us to the elders. A group of them look quite nervous until they catch sight of Yone.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Yone. I'm sure your brother found you and gave you our request." Elder Souma starts the meeting.

"The only assignment I know of is a beast nearby and Leilah coming with me?" Yone repeats what Yasuo told him.

"You are more than capable of taking care of the beast. I am more concerned about reaching Leilah's potential. Her illusions are almost perfect and they have the ability to make things feel real. The realism only comes out in a life or death situation. And Leilah will not be coming with you alone." My sensei steps forward. "I will be coming with you."

"Yes, Sensei." I hastily bow. I nervously glance over to Yone. His face is a picture of peace, but he's tense.

"Is something wrong?" Yone's sensei asks him. That seems to shake him out his thoughts.

"Nothing Sensei. When do we leave?" Yone asks.

"Right now." My Sensei walks past us. I am quick to follow. I tap Yone's arm to get him to follow us. He walks behind me. Sensei is setting a quick pace. I almost struggle to keep up.

"Uh, Sensei?" I shyly start.

"Yes, Leilah?"

"I shouldn't be using the physical spells until I can stop feeling ill using them. Starshadow's request." I hope that would keep Sensei from making me use them.

"And how will you know the spells no longer make you nauseous?" Sensei retorts. That's it. Sensei's insane.

"Elder, I'm afraid that I must request that you take her recent illness into consideration and not force her to fight." Yone has an odd tone in his voice.

"Precisely why she should. She is already in a risky position. It should be easier for her to use the magic and get accustomed to it." My sensei states.

"Are you truly that reckless with my life, Sensei?" I growl. He looks taken aback. "How much do you know about magic? You are a master of the sword. Yes, you helped me realize that my magic can be used to fool other senses than sight, but that accesses a magic that could possibly kill me. Is it truly worth my possible death to claim you trained an Aspect! And I can die to any mortal's fatal wound." I yell out. Yone comes behind me and grabs my arms, holding me back. I'm about to yank my arms out when I notice that Yone's looking at Sensei and he's standing at my back.

"Her words may be rather aggressive, but that does not mean she is wrong. Do not let her be in danger, Teacher." Yone backs me up. Sensei takes a moment before agreeing.

"Very well. Leilah will not be taking part in this assignment. Yone, you are to slay a large wolf that has been terrorizing your home village." Yone tenses at Sensei's orders. I gulp as well.

"Sensei, how big is the wolf?"

"Large enough that the villagers aren't able to fight it off. This is your first assignment, Yone. I trust you will succeed." Sensei explains. I bite my lip.

"I know I argued to stay out of this, but I'm going with Yone." Both Sensei and Yone look at me confused. "I'm not a fighter, but the villagers, I can't stand aside. They are afraid. If I can help them, I will. Besides, only one wolf was reported, right?" Sensei nods. "Then I won't worry too much. Yone will take care of it." I confidently state. I see Yone take a gulp but stands tall.

"Very well. I shall watch nearby. Should you run into trouble, I will assist. Is that suitable?" Sensei asks Yone.

"That is fine, Teacher." Yone almost chokes out. I grab his hand, trying to tell him without words that everything will be fine.

"Oh, Yone." Sensei calls. "Your teacher believes that you are ready for these." Sensei pulls out two swords. Yone looks stunned as he pulls out his new weapons. I smile in pride as Yone fixes his swords to his waist.

"Thank you, Sensei. I will finish the assignment quickly." Yone promises. We head into the village.

The villagers are tense. Some are staring at Yone in amazement. Some in bitterness. My lip gets another nibble. Everyone here feels so dark, so hopeless. Even the children are uneasy. When I stumble, I see them all jump. I sigh.

"I have my work cut out for me, Yone. You get to yours." I push Yone towards the edge of the village. He shakes his head and walks away. I walk towards the children. All but one flees from my approach. The last one is a small child, scared out of his mind. I force myself to kneel in the dirt even when I'm exhausted. "Hello, my name is Leilah, what's your name?" I ask the little girl. She's frozen in fear. I bite my lip.

"Look at this." I pull her attention to my hands. I carefully use some magic to make some bright lights fly in the sky in all different colors. The little girl looks at them in wonder. She reaches out to touch one. I force myself to use some magic to fool the other senses. My vision blurs, but I hear her happy giggles as she touches the warmth in the lights. "Hello, little one." I repeat myself, forcing my voice to sound very cheerful. "What's your name?" She looks a little less shy.

"A-a-akunia." She stumbles, suddenly remembering her fear.

"Oh, Akunia, what's making you so scared."

"My Mommy and Daddy, they left me alone." Akunia begins to cry. I pull her into my lap.

"Do you know what happened?"

"They went to the forest, and the wolves howled." Akunia's claim terrifies me.

"Wolves? As in more than one?" I do my best to remain calm.

"Well, Mommy said that there were three wolves. How much is three?" Akunia is just so innocent. I place her on her feet.

"Not that many. Good news is that there are three swords here to defend the village. The wolves will be taken care of, I promise." I kiss her head and set her down. Just as I do so, I hear growls of a wolf nearby. I pull Akunia behind me and turn to face it. It is tall enough to reach my shoulders.

"Do you have a sword, Leilah?" Akunia trembles behind me. I take a deep breath.

"I don't need swords to defend you." I tell her as softly as possible. The wolf charges. I allow my illusion magic to come forward, turning into a large dragon. The wolf quickly retreats for a moment. I glare at it. Akunia's hands tighten around my leg.

"I'm scared." Akunia begins to cry. I look around the village. Many have taken shelter already. One door opens up and gestures for Akunia to go to them. I gently push her leg in his direction.

"Go inside Akunia. We'll take care of all the wolves, I promise." Akunia listens to me and runs. I feel a bit sleepier when I use some magic to disguise her, making her invisible to the wolves. The wolves track her through sound and smell, but I can at least keep them occupied with me.

"Hey!" I yell at them. My vision blurs when I make my illusion dragon roar. The wolf in front of me howls right back. I drop to one knee when I give the dragon heat like it would breath fire. Still, the wolf does not back down. Instead, it snarls and snaps. _Why isn't it convinced it's real?_ That's when I realize, I don't know the smell of dragons. The wolf doesn't smell anything. I bite my lip and allow the dragon to disappear. I'm gasping for air at this point. The wolf gets louder as it realizes that the dragon is gone. It charges at me. I force myself to stand and get ready to dodge.

The wolf leaps for my face. I let myself drop. I can't see anything when I make the wolf feel like it's in quicksand. I hear and feel the wolf struggle against me. The paws feel like they are scratching my body as they struggle against my magic. My head starts to feel like it's splitting by the time the wolf no longer moves. Even if I'm feeling relieved that the wolf is no longer fighting me, I throw up. With what little vision I have left, I carefully look at the wolf. Thankfully, it is convinced that it is well and truly trapped. Only it's head moves. I sigh in relief.

"Leilah!" Akunia shoves me to the ground. I moan in agony.

"Akunia, she's not feeling well. Get off her." one of the villagers scolds her. I wave a hand.

"I'm ok. I'm ok." I moan and force myself to stand again. Everything swirls. The villagers look so impressed by the captured wolf that they start to congratulate me and give me handshakes. Everything becomes a celebration for a moment. The moment ends when another growl echoes nearby. All the villagers disappear, including Akunia. I shakily stand before a wolf as tall as I am. It bares its teeth at me. I glare right back. The wolf barks and paws at the ground. It almost looks like it can't make up it's mind to eat me or walk away. I make an illusion of a sword in my hand and level it at the wolf, challenging it to attack. The wolf snarls and paces, but doesn't accept my challenge. It's a standoff between us. I can see it trying to decide if I am worth a risk to it's health or not. It does eventually decide that I am easy pickings, tensing it's muscles to attack when a person runs between us.

Yone's a whirlwind of swords as he dashes by and slices the wolf's head off. The great wolf falls. Yone swirls his swords to clean them of blood before he puts them back. He assesses the area. His eyebrows raise at the wolf that's not moving.

"Did you do that?" He sounds very impressed.

"Yeah, sure. Hey Yone? Could you catch me, I don't feel…" I black out.

"WHY DID YOU EVEN THINK THAT SHE WOULD STAND ASIDE AND LET YONE HANDLE EVERYTHING ALONE!? CONSIDER US NO LONGER STUDENTS AT THIS SCHOOL!" I wake up and feel like my body is made of iron. Starshadow's sucking some power from me. My guess is that he's furious. I don't blame him at all. This makes a record number of passing outs that I have ever done in my life.

_Good for nothing, selfish, ignorant idiots that think it is perfectly fine to teach a magic user sword skills. I can care less that they are masters of swordsmanship, they need to be masters of MAGIC to teach Leilah anything._ Starshadow grumbles. His head barely fitting through the door.

"Star...Shad...Dow." I wheeze. Starshadow instantly shrinks and slithers his way onto me.

_We are leaving. No questions._

"What about Yasuo and Yone? Don't they get an explanation?"

_Oh, they both did. Both wanted to come, but I convinced them that their skills are better trained here. Didn't I say no questions?_

"I really don't care. I've been here for a few months now. I'm going to be concerned over my friends."

_Well, once we figure out our teleporting ability, we can come back and visit. Until then, we are leaving to go find somewhere else to be._ Starshadow snarls.

"You promised that Yone would teach-"

"Leilah?" I hear Yasuo call me. I turn my head to see him peeking through the door. "Starshadow said that you are leaving. Is that true?" He sounds so sad.

"Starshadow is looking out for me. I could have died if Yone didn't come to my rescue. I think that Starshadow is angry that a school for swords is attempting to teach me magic when they don't really have a clue how to. We're going to find a place that can or I just learn on my own." I explain. Yasuo bolts over to my bed and holds my hand.

"Please don't go. Yone doesn't smile as much when you're not well. I like to see him smile, but don't tell him that." Yasuo pleads. I sigh and pat his head.

"I'm sorry, Yasuo, but like you desperately want to be by your brother's side, I have my own path I must take. Besides, I'll figure out the teleporting thing and come back as often as possible, ok?" I comfort him. Yasuo sniffles. I pull him into a hug. "I promise this won't be the last time. I have some maturing to do. When I come back, I better see some progress on you, ok?"

"I'm gonna be so good I can beat Yone one day." He wipes his tears. I help him.

"Can't wait to see it." I start tearing up too.

"Well, she's not leaving this second." Starshadow adds. We both look at him. "I promised that Yone could teach her a few blocks to better protect her. But we leave in three months. If all you can do is dodge and run, then you dodge and run, got it?"

"Got it." I smile at the snake. I'm so happy I even reach over and pull him into a hug.

"I'll go get Yone! He was super worried and the wolf that you froze started to move again. According to Yone, your ex-sensei finished the last wolf off while Yone caught you. Yone's getting a big lecture about it right now. Something about having to finish his assignment before anything else?" Yasuo explains.

"They're lecturing him for checking on me instead of finishing the task?" I gasp. I'm feeling very agitated. "Yasuo, would you help me?" I move to get up. Starshadow is surprisingly not telling me to stay down. Yasuo helps me stand and we both make our way to where the monks are meeting. Yone has his head bowed as a monk is lecturing him about duty before personal feelings. I notice that not the entire council is here, just some of the monks. And most of the monks, if not all, are looking young. Before I figure out anything more, Starshadow grows in size again. Yasuo struggles to keep me from smacking my head to the ground. My vision dims almost instantly.

"He is doing his duty! Do you not know what Leilah carries?" Starshadow snarls. "She carries the Aspect of Hope! Should she die, hope becomes that much harder."

_Starshadow, humans can always find hope. I really think you're giving me way too much credit. I don't think that Aurora's the hope you make her out to be._

"She meets those that lose hope or feel like the situation is impossible. She gives them comfort and encourages them to keep going! And you are just… just blaming Yone for taking care of her?" Starshadow snaps, ignoring me.

"If Yone had done his duty, the wolf would have been killed before he checked on Leilah." A monk spits.

"Leilah is suffering from using that magic. Had Yone not checked how she was, Leilah might not be here. You" Starshadow turns to my former sensei. "Forced her to use magic that has the possibility to WIPE EVERYTHING ABOUT HER AWAY. Including the Aspect she carries! Yone did the right thing, protecting the being that brings hope back for everyone instead of a village. Though, I guess the monks at this meeting don't understand. You are" He turns to face everyone. "Are only human!" He spits human like it's an insult.

_Starshadow, that's enough. Please. I don't know how long I can stay conscious!_ Plead in my mind. Thankfully Starshadow stopped using my magic and pulled back. I blink my vision back. In the time that Starshadow was scolding everyone, Yone had come to my side. He's holding me like I'm made of glass. Yasuo looks confused. Starshadow slithers over to my chest. He's glowing black.

"Maybe you are still new, but none of you are teachers and monks I'd respect. Do you think that Yone would allow the wolf to harm anyone else? No! He's the best student you have at the school. Everyone knows it. He would have taken care of the situation after making sure Leilah was ok. Leilah could have hit her head and not woken up for a long time! That is unacceptable. Yone did his job, and you spineless, jealous humans can leave him alone!" Starshadow makes them feel like crap. I can see it in their faces. "The elders will hear about this, I promise you. Get out of my sight!" The monks all scramble to leave. Starshadow shakes his head.

"Since when did you command so much power?" I break the tenseness of the situation.

"Since Elder Souma and I agreed that I would be in charge of your lessons and health during your sick week. I can monitor your health best. Elder Souma discussed it with the others and they all agreed that while we are at this school, I will command as much respect as they do when it comes to situations that involve you. These little runts got a bit power hungry. I'm setting them straight." He hisses.

"Uh, why didn't you tell me that you are in charge of me?" I snap a little bit.

"Because you didn't ask?" Starshadow tries. I sigh and let it slide.

"Thank you Starshadow, but they were not wrong. I should have taken care of the wolf first before seeing how Leilah was." Yone states.

"You have a second duty. That duty is above everything else. Leilah's health is priority. The assignment was secondary." Starshadow firmly repeats.

"You are really making this out to be very dramatic, Starshadow." I complain.

_You are that important to the world. There is not enough drama._ Starshadow defends. I roll my eyes.

"Alright, I get it, you need to protect me. You bloody drama queen. Go to the kitchens and grab a bun. Thank you for defending Yone." I tell him. Starshadow perks up quite a bit.

_Don't mind if I do!_ He dashes off into the temple looking for his newest favorite food. Apparently, he found this bun that has red bean paste in its center. He's been absolutely raving over how good it is.

"Are you ok now, Leilah?" Yasuo asks. I look up at him.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Really tired of passing out though." I reply.

"So, Yone." Yasuo smirks. I brace myself for Yasuo to start teasing. "Why are you still holding her?" Yone blushes and gently lets go of me.

"Starshadow has told me that he draws quite a bit of power from her. He has tasked me to making sure she isn't pushed past her limits. That is all." Yone sounds so confident in his answer.

"Maybe when Starshadow was big, but now he's not and going to eat. There's was no need to cradle her until now." Yasuo cackles. I start to glow.

"Meditate, Yasuo. You are starting to get ahead of yourself." Yone tells him as he picks me up and puts me onto a bench nearby. Yasuo groans but still crosses his legs to meditate. Yone sits in front of him and both start to focus. I just sit on the bench and join them in their meditation.

_Well, I wonder what being trained by Yone will be like?_

_Some of you might ask me, "what happens in 996AN anyway? Well, you have MF fighting GP, Graves and TF become friends again, Graves gets his weapon, GP gets help from Illaoi, The ruined king happens, A harrowing happens, Senna returns, Ekko and Blitz fight in Zaun, Orchid's bloom, Progress day in Piltover, Paint the town, blood of Noxus events, Nocturne attacks Demacia, Nami appears, Irelia brings about a revolution, Pyke comes back to Bilgewater, Kai'sa returns, Syndra is freed, Sylas escapes, Jarvan the third dies, Fiddlesticks appears in Demacia, Kayn finds Rhaast, Jhin is free and recaptured, Destiny and Fate, Sisterhood of war, Perennial, kin of the stained blade, Monstrous, and a few more. And that's just 996 AD. There's EVEN MORE events that happen in the universe. It's called the Clash of fates for a reason! Leilah is a bystander that really can't stand by. Mentally, it's a bit much trying to figure out how to Leilah bounces everywhere trying to help everyone, not to mention I can't imagine the emotional and physical strain on her. She is only human. Maybe she will not go to every event, but more than likely she will be a part of them. I don't want to completely kill her with exhaustion, [read, myself with trying to figure out everything], so I'm spacing them out. She's still a human, and considering who she is interested in, I think I'll give her a little break._

_I'd also like to add that some events might be switched timeline wise. My fanfic, my rules. They do occur within a year of each other, so it's not a massive deficit. I'm just covering my tracks. I'll see you guys on Sunday with the next chapter! Until then, be amazing people and be extraordinary!_


	19. Tutelege Under Yone

Starshadow made me stay in my room while I recovered from my latest faint. Yasuo returned to his lessons. Yone went off to find his teacher. The next day, Yone comes to my room bright and early. Starshadow suns

"Are you sure you can take so much time off to teach me?" I ask Yone shyly.

"My sensei agrees that your safety is a priority. It also helps that Starshadow yelled at the others enough that they backed down. You and Starshadow are the only ones I know of that can get away with yelling at the monks." Yone remarks.

"Well, we have a very high value to them. I'm not certain why they tolerate our behaviour anyway." I cringe.

"You are an Aspect, someone of massive potential to help the world. You are more valued than the monks."

"That's just Starshadow trying to protect his best friend." I wave his protest.

"I agree with Starshadow that you are worth more than you believe." Yone states. He looks at me with such a soft look that I blush.

"Are you sure you can teach me?" I scramble to change the subject.

"I'm sure. I also plan on training my skills as we spar, so my training is not put to a halt, merely I have been given a time of self-study." Yone explains. I pause.

"What do you mean, spar?" I ask warily.

"You should at least know how to block." Yone comments. He starts to stretch out his arms.

"Um, you do realize that I can't block a sword without losing my limb?" I start to panic.

"Perhaps you can hold something or use your magic to protect yourself. You must learn how to defend yourself." Yone firmly repeats.

"I have Starshadow! He'll protect me!" I cry out.

"And what happens when Starshadow is held away? Don't forget that I saw what happened at the top of Targon while you were showing my brother. Starshadow was held up and you were barely able to keep the other being from overwhelming you. Only the interference of Aurora saved you from that other being. You need to learn how to defend yourself." Yone reminds me.

"And that's a huge celestial! Someone that I had no chance against!"

"But that doesn't mean you won't find someone like that in Runeterra. Just try, Leilah. You need to learn." Yone pleads. I sigh before nodding.

"OK, what's first Sensei?" I tease him. He grimaces.

"Drop the sensei calling. I like it when you call me by my name."

"Ok. So, what's first, Yone?" I repeat.

"Hold the sword." He pulls out a wood sword from nowhere and offers it to me. I hesitantly hold it. I would swear that I could feel it judge me.

"Ok. Holding sword." I whisper. Yone shakes his head and makes me hold the weapon properly.

"You need to hold the sword properly if you are going to use it." He teases me. I gulp.

"Last time I did and Sensei was trying to teach me, I almost gutted myself." I whisper. Yone nods.

"I remember hearing about it. All the other students were mocking how someone was still in the school when they couldn't hold a sword." Yone reminisces.

"Could we just forget about that?" I plead. Yone laughs a bit.

"I'm curious though. You could use your magic against the wolves. They were attacking you. You are also still holding this sword without you messing up. I have a theory. You can not attack, but there's no reason why you can not protect yourself." Yone theorizes. He brings his own swords down on me. I lift my stick and block. We both freeze for a moment. When I'm not trying to spear myself, I feel relieved. "Try and strike me." I move to tap his hand. Somehow I manage to throw the stick into my gut instead. Thankfully, it was more of a tap than anything, but I lost my stick. Both Yone and I watch the stick roll to a stop.

"Well, it's nice to know that I can hold a sword, but I can't actually fight." I sigh.

"It's nice to know you can defend yourself." Yone corrects me.

"How is that any different?" I protest.

"It means you are not helpless, just in need of a different method of learning." Yone calms me down. He gives me a stick and proceeds to attack. I yelp and try to smack his hand. The sword smacks into me as it flies away. I glare at it. "You can not attack me to defend yourself, Leilah. You have to block or dodge." Yone lectures. He grabs my weapon and hands it back to me. "Again." He starts to attack me. Instead of intending to hurt him to back away, I just move my wood sword enough to block his punch. The stick remains in my hands. Yone smiles. "We are getting somewhere. From now on, I want you to use your sword only. No magic."

"But-"

"You need to learn to defend yourself without passing out. That leaves you even more vulnerable than getting injured from a weapon. Now, defend!" Yone orders as he moves to strike me.

The entire week Yone was teaching me how to block with a sword. I learned how to block with a sword, but it's not the best. We learned that all it takes before I start attacking myself is me attempting to hurt the other person. Disarming has been a pain as I can't hurt my opponent while doing so. It's slow learning, and each day I get a little bit more desperate.

Yone's been kicking my ass with one sword. I'm barely able to dodge most of his attacks. The ones that I don't, I have to block. I manage to keep Yone from hitting me, but I have to back up. Eventually, I walk into a pillar and he knocks my weapon out. As the sword flies, he swipes my legs out from under me. I fall harshly on the ground. Yone points his sword at my face.

"Be faster, Leilah." Yone orders me.

"Seriously?" I pant. "You're the one that is telling me not to use my magic. Something I have access to. I'm not comfortable with a sword."

"Anyone can learn how to wield a blade."

"Anyone else can attack. I can't, so half of what a sword can do is basically useless to me."

"You can learn how to defend yourself without attacking."

"I have magic! I can use that to protect me! You saw what I can do!"

"But your magic makes you ill. It's better to have the skills for when your magic fails you." Yone argues.

"It's more instinctive to use magic than a sword! Besides, half the time I'm throwing my sword away anyway. Wouldn't it be better to let me use my magic? At least I can't throw my weapon away."

"Show me then." Yone snaps. He swings his stick down. I create a shield and roll away. My head aches, but I manage to keep up with Yone's attacks. He swings his stick faster than when I was fighting him with a weapon. This time I conjure an illusion and I sneak away. Yone attacks the illusion for a bit while I sit against a pillar. Sitting while my illusion plays against Yone helps my head ache ease a bit, but not much. Eventually, Yone strikes through the illusion and it disappears. I slump down as I finally stop using magic. My headache subsides a little bit.

"Perhaps you were not meant for a sword. My apologies for wasting the week."

"I know why you did. Better that I can pick up another weapon and be able to defend myself than just sitting on the side, but magic is still better for me." I argue weakly. Yone takes a seat next to me.

"Are you ok?" Yone asks. He pulls on me enough to make me lean onto him.

"I will be." I mumble. "Just, let me relax a bit. My head is pounding worse than the Firebrand's steps." Yone looks curiously at me.

"What is a Firebrand?" I use some illusion magic to create a visual of the creature. I did my best to make it full sized, but I also felt so tired showing it to him. My vision blackens. "You saw that thing… from underneath it?" Yone sounds amazed. I stop fueling the spell and nod against his chest.

"That was a fun time. I didn't know Starshadow back then. Someone had just saved my life from a really bad storm, pulling me into a cave and giving me some food. He watched over me as I slept. Next day, I saw that thing outside the cave with my saviour's clothes hanging out of it's mouth. There was blood on the cloth. It tried to kill me by burning the cave. I had just managed to escape and dived into the snow. Freezing cold, but it tricked the Firebrand into thinking that I died. Still, not my favorite thing." I explain. Yone tightens his grip slightly.

"You would benefit from learning how to fight with every weapon." Yone whispers. I groan.

"No, no, no. I don't think I have enough time to learn every weapon. I just need to learn how to fight with magic. I don't need a weapon." I protest. Yone sighs.

"If you insist on the path, you need to figure out what is causing you to get sick from using that magic."

"You know that Starshadow won't be pleased with that. He hates that magic with a passion." I whimper.

"You don't have a choice, Leilah. Even if Starshadow hates that magic, it is a part of you and as such you need to accept it." Yone is firm with his opinion. I sigh.

"Ok. Meditation chamber?" I ask. Yone nods and picks me up. "I can walk on my own!" I protest.

"I do not trust you to yet as a little magic sent you to the ground. I'm amazed you haven't passed out." Yone returns. I sigh and let him do what he wants. He's pretty comfy to be held by. We make it to the chamber in no time. Yone sets me down on some pillows and takes a seat next to me. He offers me his hands. I sit up straight and place my hands in his.

"Deep breaths." Yone intones. I listen to Yone breathing and follow his lead. "Go back to that place when you meditated last time. Find your river of light." He murmurs. It takes me some time, but I do find the river I saw before. _It's glowing and bright. I touch the surface and the lights ripple. The river feels content and happy. I look into the river and see Aurora smiling at me._

How are you, my dear? _Aurora asks me._

" _I'm doing ok. Though, I'm struggling with using magic to defend myself. I thought I'd ask the other being here to let me use their magic." I tell her. She shivers._

Are you sure you wish to use that magic? _She cautions. I shrug._

" _I really don't know, but I get sick trying to keep myself safe. Don't get me wrong, your magic is beautiful and useful, but the other magic, it helps too." I explain to her._

" _I wouldn't use it." She states._

" _Why?" I frown._

" _He wishes to be left alone." She shows me the dark spot nearby. Looking into it, I spot a black and red being. Judging his slow breathing, he's asleep. "He wants to sleep. Let him."_

" _I'll have to think about it." I whisper to her. She smiles and my own reflection appears. I take a seat by the edge of the river and just think. The being has amazing magic and has helped me quite a bit, but he's asleep. Is it worth asking him about my magic?_

" _And what do you think you're doing back here?" Starshadow appears next to me. I jump._

" _How do you still manage to scare me in my own mind?" I demand._

" _You were thinking quite a bit. Answer my question. Why are you back here? And more importantly, why are you looking at him?" Starshadow asls. I look back to think._

" _I want to ask him if I can use his magic."_

" _I'm pretty sure Aurora and I both said don't." Starshadow snaps._

" _Regardless of how much you hate that magic, it helps us." I reason._

" _I don't hate the magic. I respect his wish. You using his magic makes him wake up. He's not stable. Aurora managed to calm him down enough to get him to sleep and not overpower your soul." Starshadow explains. "In exchange, he leaves us alone. He doesn't hurt us, he doesn't overwhelm us. You make it difficult to keep that peace each time you decide to use his magic."_

" _I want to talk with him anyway. At the very least to get him to not hurt me as much when I use his magic." I protest. Starshadow looks over my shoulder and immediately surges forward to stay between the two of us. I turn back and stare at the being in fear. He emerged from his slumber. His eyes are red, and he's dripping ooze. He's covered in ridges, all jagged and sharp. He also does not look very happy._

" _ **Leave me. ALONE!**_ " _He booms. Starshadow keeps himself between the two of us. I shiver._

" _I just want to know if I can use your magic." I demand. The body in the ooze glares at me._

" _ **I have no desire to be awoken to this world. Leave me be.**_ " _He snarls. He starts to ooze back down into the black spot._

" _Please! People need help!" I cry. The being stops for a moment._

" _ **I care not for life in this world. Not anymore.**_ " _He rumbles._

" _But you are a part of this world!" I yell._

" _ **They banished me. They did not want me to be a part of life.**_ "

" _What if I do?" The being freezes when I state that._

Are you sure Leilah? _Starshadow asks._

" _I'm sure, Starshadow. No one should be lonely." I voice loudly. The being turns his head._

" _ **If you insist upon using my power, you may try.**_ " _He disappears into the black spot. The spot flows towards me rapidly. Starshadow looks like he wants to attack it, but I hold him back. The black spot wraps around me, almost overwhelming me. I feel so much hate and fury from him. There's a little bit of pain, but it's almost drowned out._

Leilah! _Starshadow cries out. I struggle to not pull away as the darkness climbs over me. Something is shaking my shoulder._

"Leilah!" Yone's voice interrupts my meditation. I gasp for breath as I come back to the meditation room. "Leilah, your arm!" He sounds panicked. I look at my right arm and gasp. It's black and pulsing red. Sharp edges all over. My fingers are claws. The ridges are reaching up to my neck and are attempting to spread.

_YOU ARE AN IDIOT! YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM BE!_ Starshadow screams as he zips over to my side. He coils around that arm and the darkness stops spreading. The ridges on my arm start retracting. Both Yone and I watch as the darkness fades away. My claws turn back into fingers. Starshadow's body is not changing as he absorbs the corruption. Once my arm is back to it's normal self, Starshadow releases me. He falls limply to the ground.

"Never. Do that. Again. Until I. Say so." Starshadow sounds incredibly angry. I nod fearfully and shrink as small as I can.

"Don't be too hard on her, Starshadow. She needs to use that magic."

"We've both been bonded to that magic. Aspect and that magic are complete opposites, so of course you're going to be sick! Trying to merge them so quickly and without preparation is disastrous and could have caused you to be corrupted! Then no more Leilah!" Starshadow shouts. I flinch.

"I'm sorry Starshadow. I just didn't want to be sick anymore." I whisper. Starshadow calms down.

"I can understand why you don't enjoy being sick each time you need to access the magic, but you are already doing better. You didn't die when you held that just need time to get used to using that magic. Just… keep practicing. You won't feel anything after a while." Starshadow relents. "You have light illusion magic from the Aspect. I don't know what magic came from the darkness, but from what I can tell, it's magic meant to help people. Just focus on those for now." Starshadow shudders.

"Are you ok, Starshadow?" Yone asks.

"Tired. It's not easy to keep her alive. Just focus on teaching her how to get away and using her illusions to protect herself." Starshadow goes to sleep in my lap. Yone and I look at each other.

"You heard him. You're not going to go looking for this thing again. And we are going to work on keeping you alive long enough to get away with magic. Just like you wanted."

"Ok." I shiver and clutch Starshadow to my chest.

_What was that thing in me?_

_Now we know why Leilah just couldn't use a sword. And what is that thing in her? Spooky! Anyway, spending time with Yone is adorable! I did try to make him to be a teacher and not just a friend for this chapter, but when he doesn't understand what's happening, he worries. Starshadow is Starshadow and it's nice to see Aurora again. It's also good to know that Leilah will not be getting so sick all the time. Just while she's still new to het abilities._

_I'd really love to hear if you guys want any one-shots. I'm super ahead but I want to stick to my schedule of posting for this story. I just really love thinking about how Starshadow and Leilah interact with this world. So far it's just Leilah, but I have a few one-shots that see things from the other champions' perspectives._

_Thank you for reading this far. I understand that right now it's slow and a bit painful, but she will not remain in Ionia the entire time, I can guarantee that at the very least. She's going to be back into the events timeline very soon._


	20. Leilah and Yone

Yone swings one of the stick swords in his hands towards my head. I duck and roll out of the way. I try to get to my feet as quickly as I can, but I feel the tap on my back. I groan and accept my defeat. I stand up and just take a breather.

"You need to keep your eyes on your opponent, Leilah." Yone lectures me.

"I know, I know! You know, first week was all about blocking! I'm not good with a weapon, you know that!" I protest.

"Run then." Yone invites me. I take a step away, checking to make sure he's going to let me. He doesn't move. I immediately start sprinting. It doesn't take long before I hear Yone catch up. I run around a pillar in time to hear a stick crack against it. "Don't stop!" He yells at me when I look around. I'm forced to duck and just keep running. "Be unpredictable." he calls out. I start to lean left before I shoot to the right right in front of him. I hear his sandals click against the ground and catch up to me with the small lead I had. As I run around the monastery, I search for someone to help me. I spot a poor student practicing nearby. I book it for him. Thankfully it's a sudden turn so Yone takes an extra second before he catches up. It's enough time for me to run around the student looks absolutely bewildered as I shoot by him. I look over my shoulder to see Yone just jump over the student. I curse and try to find a corner that I can reach. Thankfully there's a room with walls nearby. I yelp as I trip. Thanks to Yone training me how to get up from a fall, I just roll back up to a run. Yone's still hasn't left my tail.

I turn around and throw a bright light in his face. At the same time, I make myself invisible. The bright light forces him to turn away, and I duck. I dive out of his way and clasp my hands to my mouth. I'm careful not to use that darker magic for now. I remember one of Yone's instructions.

" _You can't use an excessive amount of magic to get away. Starshadow rarely grows in size to keep you from being unable to move. You have to control how much magic you can give and use it to your advantage."_ Yone stops running. I can see him blinking quickly to clear my light blast away. He stays quiet and listens intently. I bite my lip, trying to judge if he can actually see anything yet. He does have his eyes open and he's looking around, bu that blast of light would have certainly blinded him for longer. Carefully, I access the dark magic and make the sound of footsteps running away. He does not chase them. I curse in my head. He knows that running noise would not be me if I just blinded him and am currently trying to remain undetected.

His eyes are focusing now, so I have to stay perfectly still, even if I'm not feeling great. I try another sound trick, this time a very subtle noise. His head instantly turns away. Even if my stomach is really not happy, I keep myself still. Yone seems to believe the rock was the real me as he walks away. Once he's out of sight, I stand up. I still have my illusion on me. Carefully, I tiptoe back to where I came from. When I'm sure I lost him, I drop the illusion and place my hands on my knees. I can feel the sweat on my brow and wipe it away. I take a deep breath and walk away, struggling to stay quiet in case Yone comes back. I make it back to the courtyard he was teaching me in and take a breather.

"Wow. I think that's the first time anyone's gotten away from Yone before!" I jump when Yasuo comes into the courtyard.

"Well, he has been the one training me." I smile.

"That does not mean you completed your task." I yelp and roll forward when Yone's voice appears. Turns out I dodged just in time as Yone was about to tap my head with a sword. I scramble to my feet and duck another swipe. Yasuo comes in with his own stick sword.

"Fight me, Brother!" Yasuo sounds so excited. I smirk.

"Well, Yasuo has progressed quite well the past few months. Why not spar with him? Beat him and you can go back to smacking me with your swords?" I challenge him. Yone looks amused.

"Very well, Let us spar Yasuo. I look forward to seeing your progress." Yone throws himself into the fight with Yasuo. I take a moment to breath and recover.

_Well, I didn't think you could do it, Leilah. Only three months of training and you managed to lose Yone for a moment. Quite impressive._ Starshadow coils next to me. I smile at the butterball next to me. _As much as I hate to say it, we will need to leave soon. We've spent a long time here._

"Now?" I ask. I feel heavy at the thought of leaving the temple.

_No, soon. Though I would say your 'till next time' now. I'm not sure when we'll leave, though I think practice can be toned down a bit. Relax. Within a week, we will be gone, I think._ Starshadow sounds sad as well. _It's too bad. Even if you are an Aspect, I would have accepted you and Yone._ I glow so brightly I hear Yasuo and Yone stop fighting.

"Really, Starshadow? We have to leave soon and you're making comments like that?" I squeak. Starshadow just laughs.

_Go enjoy the day with him. And Yasuo._ Starshadow moves off. I shake my head and walk to the sparring boys.

"Gentlemen, a word?" I interrupt them. They stop fighting and turn to me. Starshadow slithers at my feet.

"Leilah and I will be leaving soon, I'm afraid." Starshadow just informs them bluntly. I tap him with my foot.

"You're leaving?" Yasuo sadly asks.

"Well, Starshadow's telling me we will. Soon anyway. And I'd rather spend some time with my favorite people here. Do you mind?" I ask them. Yone immediately puts his stick swords down.

"What would you like to do?" Yone asks me.

"I kinda just want to watch the sunset. And just relax." I shyly tell them. Yasuo perks up.

"I'll go grab some food to make it a picnic! Starshadow, you come help me!" Yasuo scoops up the large snake and carries him with two hands. "Meet you at the top of the temple! I heard that It's the best place to go to see everything!" He calls over his shoulder. Yone looks confused.

"Why would you even know information like that? You love to fight." Yone yells after him. Yasuo turns a corner and just smirks.

"I thought you would like to know!" He runs off with laughter. I turn to Yone. I'm confused when I see his face turn a little red. He clears his throat.

"Well, shall we make our way to the top of the temple?" Yone's voice is almost an entire octave higher. I raise an eyebrow.

"Sure, if you can explain why you are so uneasy with me." I tease. Yone sighs and offers his arm to me. I bite my lip and take it.

"Always so impatient." Yone chuckles..

"Thank you." I whisper. His other hand reaches over and places it on my hands. I start to glow. Yone laughs.

"It appears that we are uneasy about the same thing." Yone comments lightly. I glow a little bit brighter.

"W-w-well, I'm just grateful that you've kept me safe when I needed it and you trained me." I stutter. I dip my head, completely embarrassed.

"Perhaps. Starshadow wanted me to protect you when he couldn't." Yone reminds me. I sigh a little bit. "Though, I have to say, After you saved my brother, I would have protected you even without my promise." Yone confesses. I blush heavily.

"W-w-what do you mean?" I stammer. The hand that held mine reaches over and tilts my head up. I shiver, overwhelmed by the feelings Yone holds in his eyes. He leans in and plants his lips on my cheek. When he pulls away, he's blushing just as hard as I am. He's smiling softly though.

"I thought I'd take the moment and show you how I feel. I would not let your heart down if you would trust me with it." Yone whispers. I squirm a little bit before sighing.

"At least… I'm not alone." I mutter quickly. I reach my hand up to place on his cheek. I smile shyly and duck my head back into his shoulder. He places his hand on mine again. We take our time walking to the top of the temple. There's no more tension between the two of us.

Our trip feels so short when we finally reach the top. He guides me over to the railings and we both just stand and watch.

"It's beautiful." I whisper.

"Not as beautiful as you." Yone murmurs in my ear. I blush. "I'll miss you when you're gone."

"I'll miss you too." I turn towards him. Yone rests his forehead against mine. "But you know that I have to keep moving, don't you?" My voice breaks. Yone pulls me into a hug.

"Yes, but I don't mind. You are doing your duty. I will do mine." Yone's voice rumbles through my body.

"And what is your duty?" I feel a little scared answering, but I need to know.

"Becoming the best warrior to protect those that need it. Perhaps to even be by your side." Yone states. I pull away.

"If you know why I have to keep moving, you also know what I am. Immortal."

"Only until mortally wounded. I would gladly sacrifice my life to ensure your safety." Yone's face dips closer to mine. "Only if you would let me be that person for you." He's so close, but he won't close the rest of the way. He waits for me to make my choice.

I bite my lips before I move. I lift myself to his cheek and place my lips tenderly there. Yone pulls back, confused. I take a deep breath.

"I do feel something for you, but your place right now is by Yasuo's side, learning in the monastery. This is where you can learn how to protect others better. When you have learned all you can about the sword and you still want to be with me, I will give you my answer." I whisper, ashamed that after months of being around this man, of feeling affection for him, I can't bring myself to act on them. Yone pulls my face up and gives such a genuine smile I'm worried I might go blind.

"When you give your answer, I will show you how much you deserve my feelings, until my life ends." Yone vows. I shiver and just lean on him. I feel his head rest on mine as he embraces me. "I will show you how much I care, and I hope you will accept it. Just don't forget about me." I nod and hold him tighter. We just stand there, knowing that we have a lot of work ahead of us before we can truly try to be something more, but it would be worth it.

_Pssst._ Starshadow attempts to grab my attention. _Leilah. Pssssst._ I groan in my mind to let him know I heard him. _Should Yasuo and I come back later? Are you two making out? Oh wait, no, you're not. Geez, this is a guy that's practically falling into your lap that I do like and you are just accepting him as a friend? Yeesh. Poor dude. He's been pining after you since you helped Yasuo into the monastery._

_Really?_ I'm curious as to how long Yone has felt something for me.

_Well, you peaked his interest when you appeared out of nowhere and claimed to climb Targon. Then you made Yasuo happy. You gave Yasuo hope that he would join his brother one day. When you fell ill saving Yasuo, which I'm still not pleased about, Yone didn't leave your side. You became a very important person to him. The entire time you were ill, he came to realize that he wanted to try to be a more important person in your life too. Seeing you so stubborn also worried him. That was when he realized that he cared for you more than a friend. And you're blowing it!_ Starshadow huffs.

_I'm not. I'm going to wait until we are more mature. Who knows, maybe there's someone else out there. Maybe we grow into different people and no longer care for each other. Either way, His fate is to remain here while mine is to see everything._

_And this is where I'm proud of you, kid._

_I'm not a kid._ I protest.

_Fine, but I'm telling you that Yasuo's just about to come around the corner and see the two of you hugging._ Starshadow warns me.

"They're almost here." I speak out loud to Yone. I feel his arms tighten around me before he lets go. His smile has never left.

"You've just proved that you are truly someone I would want to be beside. I will wait." He kisses my forehead before we both turn to see Yasuo covering his eyes. There's a rather large picnic basket in his hands and Starshadow's perched on his shoulder.

"Are you two done kissing yet?" Yasuo teases. Yone walks over and lightly smacks Yasuo's head.

"We never kissed." Yone protests. Yasuo uncovers his shocked face.

"That can't be real. After all this time, this is your chance!" Yasuo badgers.

"Perhaps, but I do not doubt that this is the only chance." Yone calms him down. I pull the basket from Yasuo's arms.

"Besides, I'd love to spend some time with the first Ionian I've ever met. Come on, Yasuo. You never know when we may be leaving." I try cheering him up.

"You don't get it, Yone's in lo-" Yone is quick to cover Yasuo's mouth.

"She knows, brother. But she wishes to wait and grow before committing to anything. Understand?" Yone informs him. Yasuo nods before sighing.

"I hope you guys are hungry. Otherwise Starshadow's going to be bigger than Yone width-wise." Yasuo changes the topic with some snark. Starshadow's tail smacks the back of his head.

"There's no need to comment on my weight. I am a celestial. I don't get fat." Starshadow clips. Yone and I just watch them fondly as they bicker and poke fun at each other. Yone pulls me to his side. I just let him. I relax into his embrace. The rest of the evening, we laugh and enjoy ourselves. Starshadow eats about half the feast, so he's practically a ball now. He's moaning about his poor body not being big enough to eat everything. Yone and Yasuo laugh at his misfortune as he rolls over to me.

_Let me grow a little bit, Leilah. Please!_ He groans.

"No, I'm not in the mood for passing out right now!" I scold him.

_I'd eat more!_

"No."

_Yes._

"N-" I bend over suddenly, feeling my stomach trying to turn itself inside out. Starshadow also flinches. Yone and Yasuo both tense and move to help us.

"What's happening?" Yasuo's demanding.

"I don't-" The nausea sets in fast. I very nearly threw up. I can feel Yone's hands on my back, trying to help. I barely get a clear view of what's happening, but there's a darkness oozing from both Starshadow and myself. "Stay back!" I yelp at Yone and push him away. The last thing I see before black is Yone reaching for us.

I groan when I come to. I'm in a new place, nowhere near the monastery. I'm not even sure I'm in Ionia. It's super noisy and so many people bustling around us. A few kids are around my body. I yelp when I feel one of them grab something they shouldn't. They all run away. I roll onto my hands and knees and struggle to stand up. I look around for Starshadow, but he's gone.

"Starshadow?" I call out. There's no response. "Starshadow! Where are y-" I flinch and duck for cover when a loud boom happens nearby. Two more follow before a man in an odd uniform bursts out the door. I can see a fire was started in the little place. Worried for anyone inside, I run in. I look around for anyone that might have been in there.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I start to cough, inhaling fumes. I hear a whimper behind a door and run to that. Looking in, I see a little girl with vibrant red hair bleeding out badly. I race over and pick her up. She cries out from the pain, but she can't stay here. I cradle her tightly against my chest. "Hold on!" I cough out as I make my way back to the front.

Fire ate everything in the area. The door that I had run was cut off. The roof over our heads cracked and started to rain embers on our heads. I tuck the girl into my arms tighter to keep her from getting burned. I'm not so lucky. My skin burned as fire licked at me. I curled up into a ball to at least keep the girl safe. My magic reacted to the situation. I felt my muscles turn bone tired as magic was drawn from me. I peaked out of my eyes for a moment and saw dark ooze surrounding us, keeping the falling debris from killing us. I struggle to stay awake with all my might, but the massive use of magic makes me pass out. As my vision darkens, I see the shield crack a little bit.

_Please let us survive this._

_So close! Leilah, why would you deny the attraction you so clearly feel?_

_In all seriousness, Yone and Leilah, while clearly attracted to each other, just aren't mature enough. Leilah grew up on a farm and knows how to be practical. This is her first relationship, so she's extra careful. She also doesn't know what's going on with her magic, and she wants to know who she is before going into a relationship, if she does._

_If you've made it this far in my story, nicely done! This story may never end, though at some point I may just stop writing in this story and transition to a new story if Ordinary becomes like 999 chapters long. XD More than likely I may do arcs and some side stories with Leilah and Yone in different scenarios outside of League Lore. If you guys want to see her paired with anyone else, leave a review! It may end up in the story, it may become a oneshot. Who knows?_


	21. Lost and Agony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does have some violence, which I warned about. It's Runeterra, it's going to have some graphic violence. Look at Pyke for goodness sake! Or Evelynn! Either way, most scenes that are considered mature are due to the graphic violence.

**_THIS COMES WITH A TRIGGER WARNING - If you are easily triggered by scenes of pain and agony, there's a line that signals where the worst of it is. There will be another line to signal when it is done._ **

_If I can just stay awake long enough to do anything, that would be wonderful._ I grumble as I wake up. I look down into my arms. There's no one there, so at least the little girl is alive. I feel the wood from above start to crush me, so I start crawling out from underneath the wreckage. I manage to wiggle my way out as the last of the house crumbles. I let myself collapse, exhausted and just feel pain all over.

"Starshadow?" I call out weakly. There's no response. I shiver and force myself to stand up. "Starshadow?" I yell. There's people looking at me like I'm insane, but they stay away. I push myself into a walk and hobble down the street. Everything is so green and dark compared to Ionia and Targon. I shiver, feeling like I was being watched. It feels so cold and scary in this place. Still, I have to find Starshadow. I guess that one of the children that I woke up to the first time stole him. _Just great. On top of being trapped here, I don't have my best friend. That didn't take long to lose him._

"Somethin' botherin' ya?" A deep twang rings next to my head. I turn and shriek. A catfish on legs is standing in front of me. He's got a jacket and a gold chain going to a pocket. "You seem lost. How might I, Tahm Kench, help a damsel like you?" He tips his hat to me.

"Um, I, uh." I don't know how to respond. While it's nice that someone is offering to help me, I don't like the feeling of this Tahm Kench.

"Oh, darlin', you can tell Ol' Tahm anythang. I won't hurt ya." He coaxes. I stare at his jagged teeth and just creep backwards.

"Um, thank you for the offer, but I think I'd be better off on my own." I burst away. His laugh echoes down the street.

"You'll come back to me, dear. The desperate always do." His voice chuckles. I race into a busy ship port and gasp for breath. I lean against the side of a stand. I've never seen anything like that thing. And I really hope I won't see him again.

"Get off, you bastard!" A cracky vendor shoos me off. I flinch back. This place is certainly more aggressive than what I'm used to. I take a moment and look around, hoping that I could spot something familiar. Everyone's so busy walking around me. I fall against a wall and try to make sense of what is happening. All I know is that I lost Starshadow, saved a girl from being burned to a crisp, and Tahm Kench is creepy. I don't even know where I am.

"Are you alright?" Someone asks me. I'm so deep in thought that she scares me. I shriek and turn to see a lady in rags looking at me. "Do you have a bit of coin for the weary, miss?" She walks towards me. I back up a bit.

"N-n-no, I don't." I tell her. She sighs.

"That's too bad. I need some gold. Perhaps your eye will fetch a pretty price." She pulls out a knife and swings it at me. I yelp and dodge. "Help an old lady out, won't you?" She cackles as she continues to swipe for my face. I keep backing up and trying to avoid getting hurt. She gets my face and arms a few times, but I manage to stay safe. She tires herself out a bit and starts to panic.

"No. I need your eye. Give me your eye! I need it!" She looks at the water fearfully. "GIVE ME YOUR EYE!" She makes one last desperate attempt on my face. It slices cleanly through my right eyelid and eye. I scream in agony as my eye pops. She races up to my face and forces the eyelid open. She curses at seeing the mess of my face before she flees back down the alley. I struggle to keep breathing through the pain as I sob. Everyone else mills around like everything is normal. I'm in so much pain I feel dizzy.

 _Starshadow. Yone. Someone. Help me._ I cry, one side of my face a river of blood. My tears fall into my mouth, tasting of salt and blood. I struggle to just calm down. _Please, just somebody help me!_ I sob to myself. The pain in my eye just builds and builds. I force myself to stay conscious. The agony is blinding.

Eventually, I get used to the pain. Instead of an all encompassing pain, it's a pulsing ache. I take a deep breath and start to walk down the street, holding a hand over my eye. I try to find Starshadow, but with one eye slashed through, I struggle to not bump into people.

"I'm sorry, sorry." I mutter to each person I bump into. Some curse me. Some look at me in annoyance. Some in curiosity. I don't care all that much. I need to find Starshadow. I walk all around the pier all day. A few kids come close and try to pickpocket me. It would have worked if I had pockets. In the middle of the day, I still haven't found Starshadow. I'm sitting on the edge of a dock. "Starshadow!" I scream.

"Who you lookin' for?" I jump and turn to see a normal man. Well, he looks normal enough to me. He's wearing some rags, but he might help me. I get up to look at him right in his face.

"I'm looking for a snake. Have you seen a black snake with a red dot on his head?" I ask.

"Sorry darlin', but I'm all out of sea snakes." He says. "Now get lost!" He backhands me. I fall to the ground. I'm really scared now. _Where is my best friend?_

"Starshadow!" I keep calling out for my friend. Everyone continues to watch me until they get used to my yelling. I yell until my throat croaks. Even then, I can't give up.

"Starshadow." I rasp. I'm utterly exhausted. My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven't eaten since I was with Yone. _Yone. What would he do in this case? Well, he'd have a sword to defend himself. He'd also stay calm, even if his eye is currently out of use. He'd try to find some shelter. Or maybe some food?_

I spot a vendor selling some really crappy fish. The vender looks like he's in a panic. I walk over to him.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"Get away from my catch, you damned bastard!" He snarls at me. I back away quickly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not here to steal! I'd just like some food." I plead. He scoffs and moves to slap me. I try to dodge, but with only one eye I don't quite get out of the way in time. I'm slapped to the ground for a second time.

"Get away from my shop, you filthy piece of shit!" He curses me. I flinch and run away. All this aggression, this anger, it makes me feel very uneasy. I wish Starshadow was here with me, he'd help. At least, I think he would.

The day passes by in a blur. I keep asking shopkeepers if they had any food to spare. Some just shooed me away. Others pulled out a weird contraption that made a loud sound. I stayed clear of those with the weird things. I finally found a vendor that would let me have a little bread. She felt bad seeing one of my eyes slashed through. It also helped that I offered my services into her shop. I had actually performed a little illusion magic, making the shop seem a little brighter. People came flocking over. She gives me an impressed look and throws me some food.

"You earned your pay, you bastard child. Now get out of here." She snaps. I nod my head and run away with my small meager bit of bread in my hands. It's not much, but it's something. I move to hide in an alleyway and eat my bread in peace. I'm about to start eating when someone says they're looking to return a snake. I bounce up and race over to the people.

"Did you say you found a snake with a red dot on his head?" I ask eagerly.

"We did, in fact. Boys?" He looks over my shoulder. That's the last thing I see before something whacks me hard across my head.

**-SCENE STARTS HERE-**

"Wake up, whore!" Someone yells. I smack my head into some metal. In pain and missing half my vision, I realize that I'm in a cage. I shiver and back myself into the corner away from everyone in my cell room. Some of the men laugh darkly. The man in front of me, I guess is the leader, carries a bag on his waist. "The girl's scared!" A man sneers and kneels to look at me right in the eye. "Oh, lookie here boys! I don't remember being able to see that eye so clearly before!" I press my hand to my injured eye. There's no massive ache. When I let go and open that eye, I realize that everything is blurry. Thank goodness for the advanced healing. At least my eye won't be permanently gone. "Gerry said he found the girl yesterday with half her face covered in blood. Hair's a pretty thing, so I thought I'd take her with me. Now lookie at them eyes. They are unusual, aren't they boys?" The man bangs his hand against the bars. I flinch and curl farther away. "Wouldn't she fetch a pretty price with the boss?" Everyone cheers and laughs. I curl into a ball, crying again. "I want them eyes. Them heal fast, don't they?" I start to hyperventilate as the man opens the cage doors and comes towards me with a knife. "Don't worry little girl. It'll grow back. I just want that pretty red and black eye of yorn." He shifts his dagger into a stabbing position. I start to scream. He stabs it into my eye socket and cuts my eye out. I feel pain blossom quickly. He takes his time, slowly peeling out my eye and cutting the nerves behind it. I don't stop screaming and thrashing. He doesn't do it quickly. I can feel every single nick and cut the dagger makes. After what feels like an eternity, he finally stops and pulls out my eye. He holds it triumphantly above his head as I slump from the pain. The slash from before is nothing compared to loosing the whole eye. Still, I can feel the location start to heal from the cut. The man grabs my hair and forces my head back. He pulls open my eyelid and whistles.

"Lookie here, boys! It's already done bleedin'!" He laughs.

-Worst of the scene is done-

"Where's the snake?" I plead. The man just turns and kicks me back. I pull away, scared.

"The snake's right in front of you, missy. Oh, wait. One eye's healin', the other's gone, so I guess you can't see. Here you go." He pulls out something. It's too blurry for me to make out what it is. I can hear something thrashing inside.

_When I get out of here, I'm going to hunt your ass down and twist it out of this realm!_

_Starshadow?_ I whimper.

 _Leilah! Is that you?_ Starshadow calls out to me. I sob in relief, knowing that Starshadow's ok.

_Yeah, I'm ok. What is happening?_

_I don't know. What happened with you?_ Starshadow explains.

_They took my eye. The left one._

_THEY DID WHAT?_

_It hurts, Starshadow. I want to leave._

_I know, we'll get out of here, I promise._

_How? We can't wait for an emergency. We need to leave now!_ I protest.

 _I agree. Good news, I think the next time we change locations, we aren't going to be here._ Starshadow tries to cheer me up.

_Until then, I'm going to be in agony. I may even be blind! It sounds like they want to pull my eye out!_

_Just, Stay calm. I'll get out of this bag and we can leave for a while. We'll find a way out, I promise._ That's all the time we have for a conversation before the man pulls the bag away.

"Gangplank's gonna want to see her. He'll pay a pretty penny for the girl, won't you think? Until then, when her eye heals, cut it out, got it?" The leader snaps. I shiver and realize that this is torture. I don't know how long it will be before I give out.

Days pass. I'm given food and water. Surprisingly enough, the eye that was taken out actually grew back. I don't know how. My captors were delighted to hear this and proceed to cut my eyes out each time they heal or reform.

"Thank you, little one. Your eyes are certainly valuable."

"How?" I rasp.

"We got some cultists around that enjoy the rare eyes you have and use 'em for potions. Weird ones, but money is where money is. Now, how's the pretty blue-green eye of yours doing? Healing up ok?" He taps his dagger against my cheek. I flinch and try to pull away.

"Please stop." I beg.

"Naw, see, you and the snake, now I never seen anything like you two, and you certainly are pretty little thangs. Maybe I'll sell the two of ya. More cash. Besides, you are worth quite a bit of money on your own."

"Leave me alone." I whisper and huddle into a corner. The man laughs. He walks away. I hear the door slam and I relax. It's quiet and I'm alone for a moment. There's silence in the room for a moment. The door creaks open, quieter than before. I sit up and blink rapidly, desperately wishing that I could clearly see who it is.

"Here." A boy pulls a little meager piece of bread down. I feel my way to it and hungrily scarf it down. The only sound I hear is my chewing and eating. He walks out the door and closes it quietly behind him. I sigh as my stomach feels mildly better.

"Well, now, little lady. You seem to be in quite a pickle. Would you like to make a deal?" The familiar drawls of Tahm Kench fill my ears. I squeak and pull away.

"What kind of deal?" I ask hopefully.

"I can get you out of here for the cost of one limb." He offers. I flinch, feeling the agony of loosing an eye switch to a limb.

"No. I'm not that desperate." I stammer.

"Oh? Now what could possibly be so important that you wouldn't take Ol' Tahm offer?" He sneers. Thankfully, my eye finally clears enough to see Tahm Kench's face twisted in interest.

"I'm not telling you. You won't set your sights on him." I refuse.

"A him? Well now, that is interesting. Tell you what, for the cost of your arms and legs, I'll get both you and him outta here. How's that?" Tahm Kench makes another offer.

"No. He'll escape and help me. He promised…" I whisper.

"Very well. It seems like a deal is not going to be made today. I'll come back. Maybe someday, you'll take my deal." He laughs as he dives into the ground like it's water. I shiver and pull away. The door slams open again. The man that has Starshadow saunters over to me. I pull away.

_Leilah, I need you to trust me. I'm going to use your magic._

_What? Why?_

_I can't hear you scream anymore._ Starshadow cries in my head. I feel tears peak at the corner of my eyes. Starshadow was next to me every single time they pulled out my eyes. He's in just as much pain as I am.

 _Do it._ I tell him. I immediately feel bone tired as Starsahdow uses my magic. The man walks over to my right and makes some motions that he clearly believes is him digging his knife into my face. I sob in relief that he took our bait and I'm not hurting anymore. He holds the fake eye in triumph and smirks at the illusion Starshadow made.

"Thank ya very kindly for your contribution, miss." He cackles as he walks away. I slump down and finally get some sleep.

Thanks to Starshadow and I sharing magic, he's been able to keep the illusion going. I'm not sure if I would have come up with the idea of using my magic if it wasn't for Starshadow. As it was, I'm barely able to stay awake. My eyes have fully healed, so I've been trying to figure out how to get out my cage. I couldn't teleport without Starshadow nearby. I cough harshly for a long time, struggling to breath. After days of being held in a dingy cage, I caught a very nasty cold. Still, I keep trying to figure out a means of escape that would let me grab Starshadow and we can book it outta here. I can't give up. That would be the death of us.

"You look like you're on the edge of death, girl. Won't you give me, a humble man, a deal to break you free? The only cost of that is your magic." Tahm Kench tries to tempt me. He comes every few days when no one watches and makes an offer to get myself and Starshadow out. Each time, he asks for something more than I was willing to consider before. Before, he wanted an eye as it was healing. I couldn't stand willingly putting myself through that pain, so I declined. Now, I would have gladly given it to him, but he wants my magic now, and I really can't part with that.

"I… don't want… to…" I gasp.

"Girl, you are more stubborn than gum on a shoe. You think your partner can live like this? You think you can live with a sickness?" He argues.

"I… don't… want… your… help." Tahm shakes his head at my refusal once again.

"Would you really rather face death than let me help ya?"

"You aren't… taking… my magic… I was...trusted with it… If you want… anything else… fine. But my magic… is off the...table." I slump over. Tahm starts to laugh.

"You'd let me take your life, your soul, but not your magic? You are certainly the most interestin' girl I've ever met."  
"Interestingly enough… You haven't agreed… So… no… deal." I croak. Tahm makes a small noise of frustration.

"I'll come back for ya one more time with an offa you can't refuse." He promises before he dives into the floorboards. Blissful silence stays in my room for minutes before the door bangs open. I don't even have the energy to flinch. I just stare through barely open eyes. I see an outline of a man kneel down and look at me.

"The girl's supposed to be in good condition." He barks. I just blink.

"She is! There's not a single scratch on her, boss. And we've tried. See?" The leader pulls out a knife and swipes it into my arms. I've grown so used to the pain I don't twitch or fight anymore. Or maybe it's because of my illness?

"This is not good condition. And the snake, you give me a rope?" The boss roars. He throws a bag to the ground. The opening aat the top loosens. I see Starshadow slither sluggishly out. He truly is just skin and bones, same as me. I try to reach for him. He wiggles into my cage and coils around my wrist.

"Give the merchandise back, girl!" The leader from before notices and pulls out a whip. I look down to my feet and smile. Once, I would have been afraid of the dark ooze. Now, I'm grateful for it. The darkness shifts up our bodies quickly. I feel Starshadow pull himself into an upright position and laugh. Both men freeze.

"You should have never let us reunite." He laughs out. The ooze covers the both of us and we teleport somewhere once more. I struggle to stay conscious the entire time we travel. This time, we bump into someone as we exit out the ooze..

"Wha-" The poor man can't even finish a sentence before I can't stay awake anymore.

_I gasp and look around. I don't feel so ill anymore. I see my body has recovered quite a bit. I sigh and get up. It's about time that I'm not sick and having to recover. Though, what am I recovering from?_

" _LOOK LAMB. SHE IS HERE." A deep voice growls. I jump and whip around. Before me stands a wolf head circling a lamb. The lamb holds a bow and arrow. I back away, afraid._

" _Wolf, you are frightening her." She scolds the wolf before turning to me. "What about you? Will you stay-"_

" _OR WILL YOU RUN? PLEASE RUN! WOLF LIKES WHEN PREY RUNS!" The wolf interrupts. I shriek and fall onto my butt._

" _Where am I?" I ask. Both Lamb and Wolf look surprised._

" _You are dead. We are here to send you to the next life." Lamb replies. I hyperventilate._ I'm dead?

" _I can't be dead. My family, my friends, Starshadow! They wouldn't let me die!" I cry._

" _You are dead. I am here to send you to your next life." Lamb tells me kindly. I just start to scream._

" _NO! I want to go back!" I try to call my magic. It's not there anymore. I finally understand that I'm dead. I stare at the duo in fear. "No. No, I'm not ready! I can't go yet!" I yell before turning and running. I hear Wolf howl happily. I feel the need to duck and I dodge an arrow. I turn and see both Lamb and Wolf hunting me. I face forward and just keep on running. Eventually, I run into an edge. I turn and shiver, afraid when the Wolf emerges._

" _FOUND YOU!" Wolf is about to take a huge bite out of me when I feel exhausted and just go to sleep._

I gasp awake. Three men are kneeling in front of me. One is the man that caught me from when we were on the move. The other two were looking at me in worry. I struggle to breath as I turn onto my side and throw up. One pats my back while I heave until I can't anymore. I cough and cry.

"Starshadow?" I rasp. "Where's Starshadow? Where's my snake?" I croak. I can't move, but I still want to know where he is.

"A black snake?" An older voice asks.

"Yes."

"I'm holding him. Though, he's not much of a snake. More of a dot." A different voice says. I force myself to move a little bit.

"You shouldn't be moving." A third voice protests. I just keep trying.

"I need him." I whisper. There's silence as I struggle to move until someone holds their hands in front of me. I look to see that he's right. There's a black dot in his hands. I try and reach out, afraid that he's gone.

 _Starshadow?_ I whisper in my mind. The black dot shivers after a tense moment.

 _Never… Die… on me… again…_ The dot shrinks. I relax, relieved to know that he's still alive. Someone picks me up. I struggle weakly against him.

"N-n-no. Please...n-no" I whimper. I feel some arms tighten around me. I start to panic. _Are they holding me to get my eyes? Or something else on me?_

"We will watch over you." The voice rumbles.

"W-w-where am I?" I refuse to stop struggling. I don't feel safe. I have to protect Starshadow while he recovers. I can't just let my guard down.

"Zhyun. You're on the island of Zhyun." The man tells me. I start to shake.

"Where's that?"

"Ionia." I cry in relief when he tells me where I am. Ionia is safe. "Sleep now. The Kinkou order will watch over you."

"Master, we can not wait for her to recover. We need to catch the Golden Demon." One of the man's companions says.

"Govos, can you not sense her potential? She wields such a small, yet important power. She's someone that our target may want to use. She comes with us." The second companion says.

"Well said, Shen. She has not died yet. Perhaps think of this as a break from our target." The man holding me says. I struggle to stay awake, but I can't anymore.

_Am I truly safe with these people?_

* * *

_Oh boy, I'm sorry Leilah! She's a sweet girl that just visited Bildgewater to help out someone in need and she's dealing with this? Her looks are certainly getting attention, but Bildgewater was never the kind of place that I would imagine nice. I mean, Pyke came from there! At least she's going back to Ionia. She definitely needs to rest and recover from that. Though, the Golden Demon is certainly someone familiar, wouldn't you think?_

_Leave a review and follow if you'd like! I will be Posting Sundays and Thursdays. See you all on Thursday, and I hope you ordinary people are doing something extraordinary!_


	22. Recovery

“Starshadow, wake up.” I plead to the black rope of snake sleeping on my pillow.. After a month of being in the company of Shen, Kusho, and Govos, I’ve finally felt healthy again. Starshadow’s still asleep, recovering from his use of magic to bring me back. Each day he doesn’t wake up makes me feel more and more uneasy.

“He will wake up. He won’t let you be left alone if he can avoid it.” Govos comments on my agitated state. He leans against the doorway to my room, watching over me as Kusho instructed him. Apparently there’s a lead on the Golden Demon case they’ve been working on while caring for me. Govos’s been struggling watching all the deaths, so he was allowed to stay back and watch over me.

“How can you know? Starshadow’s been the only thing that’s stayed by my side for the past nine months. He can’t go!” I rant before I freeze. I’ve been gone from Targon for nine months. I’ve barely even thought of my family during that time. Geras. Lye. They must be worried and missing me so much.

“You are feeling lost and scared. I know that feeling.” Govos stands up and walks up to me. “I have spent the last three years hunting down the Golden Demon. You can’t possibly imagine how gruesome the deaths are. At one point, my Master has reached out to others, but both Shen and I agreed that since this is our task, we must finish it. Still, it makes me incredibly uneasy to seel. I feel sickened everytime we have to investigate a new murder.” Govos’s face is haunted by what he’s seen. I feel guilty. I’ve been complaining about how much my life has sucked for only nine months. The man in front of me was hurt for three years.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper. “I… I don’t know what to say.” I start to cry.

“Don’t cry. It’s… It’s refreshing to see someone feel so open. I don’t even remember what it was like to be so free.” Govos takes a seat on the bed.

“What?”

“Shen, he’s all dark and broody now, but he was one of the most friendly people around. He’d tell jokes, laugh, get into all kinds of craziness back home.” Govos gives a soft chuckle. “One time, he used his secret step. He, he” Govos bursts into laughter. “He pantsed every single teacher in the temple. And no one could figure out who did it. Shen asked me to pants him as he came back, so he would look innocent. He also pantsed me, so everyone thought that Shen and I were innocent and everyone was on guard for a month. Every day afterwards, we’d laugh when someone would check to make sure their pants stayed on.” Govos reminisces with a smile.

“You and Shen sound very close.” I comment as I take a seat next to him.

“He’s like my brother. His father is my Master. We are very close.” Govos explains.

“It sounds nice.” We both let the silence stay in the room.

“So, what’s happening in your dreams? I mean, you recovered from your cold recently, but everyone knows that you aren’t sleeping well.” Govos brings up. I flinch.

“I… I don’t want to talk about that.” I shy away. Govos accepts that I’m not ready to talk yet.

“What about what made you so interesting to Shen?” Govos asks.

“I don’t know why I’m so special to Shen. I’m just a girl that climbed Mount Targon and got corrupted by something afterwards.” I say nonchalantly.

“What?” Govos sounds breathless.

“I climbed-”

“No wonder why you are so interesting to Shen! You have two different magics in you? That’s… That’s amazing.” Govos praises.

“I’m not anything special, Govos. I cast illusions. I can make someone believe that they sense something else. I don’t even know what the corrupted magic can do. I do almost nothing important.” I protest.

“Even the smallest thing can change the course of the world. I was taught that so long ago.” Govos retorts. I remain silent. Govos sighs. “We know nothing about you. We don’t even know your name.”  
“It’s Leilah.” Starshadow croaks. I snap my head around to see him lift his head weakly.

“Starshadow!” I yelp happily and race over to him. I pick him up gingerly and hug him. He nuzzles me back.

“Sorry I’ve been out for so long. Forcing a teleport, never done that. No wonder why you hate waiting for your magic to no longer make you sick.” Starshadow teases me. I give a watery laugh.

“I’m just glad you’re ok.” I cry. Govos coughs and I jump. I keep a hand protectively in front of Starshadow as I turn towards Govos.

“Your name is Leilah? And your name is Starshadow?” He asks us. We nod. “We entered a village where a boy was asking for someone named Leilah and her companion Star something around two weeks ago. Had we known your name was Leilah, we could have let you rest there.” Govos mentions. I almost drop my hand from around Starshadow.

“Did you get their name?” I ask. Govos shakes his head.

“Sorry, it was a quick stop to see if anyone had heard of the Golden Demon. No one had heard of him, so we know he’s not there. They also hadn’t heard of any terrible deaths, so we know he’s not going north.” Govos reports. He seems to sink into himself again, drowning from his recent life.

“Do you want to know more about me?” I try to distract him. He looks up.

“I think it would be greatly appreciated.” He replies. I smile and use some light magic, just to exercise it and enjoy telling a story again. I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to tell a story. 

Govos raises his eyebrows, but says nothing. I tell him my tale. All the way from the beginning, with Targon, being corrupted, and even my short time in the sword monastery. He identifies Yasuo as the boy who was asking around. I smile as I remember my journey and Yone. I stop my smile and my tale right before we teleport into Bilgewater. I’m exhausted from using magic and the emotions that I felt while I was talking and I don’t want to think about Bilgewater. Not right now. Govos listens to it all like the perfect audience.

“It seems to me you’ve been through quite a bit. Going up the mountain, getting the Aspect, touching the ring, learning in the school, all of that, and you still think you’re ordinary?” Govos comments.

“I mean, I am compared to others. I’m just a girl who was chosen and got lucky enough for someone to pay attention to me.” I pant.

“You’re partnered with a star! How does that make you ordinary?” He asks.

“She chooses to believe she is ordinary, Govos. You should respect that.” Kusho enters the room with Shen behind him. Govos stands and bows to Kusho. Kusho waves Govos’s respect. “Come now, Govos. You are like a son to me and we are all tense. There’s no need to bow to me.” I stand up and mimic Govos’ posture.

“Thank you for keeping me safe, Master Kusho. Starshadow too. I don’t know where we would have been if you didn’t save us.” I say gratefully. Kusho waves his hand again.

“You needed assistance, child. From what Shen has seen, you died. And Starshadow brought you back. Anyone would have helped you in that instance.” Kusho tries to comfort me by placing a hand on my shoulder. I hear the man’s jeers and cheers when they were cutting out my eyes. I flinch, pulling my hands to my face. “Child?”

“I’m in Ionia. I’m not in Bilgewater.” I whisper. Everyone tenses. I start to shake. I hold myself as I sink to the ground. The ground starts to morph into my cage floor. “No, stop, please. Don’t hurt me.” I start to whisper and cry. Govos rests his hand on my shoulder. I scream and flinch away. It’s not Govos next to me, it’s the man that tormented me.

_ Leilah?  _ I see Starshadow’s figure in a bag, held in front and being beaten. I hyperventilate.

“I’m sorry, Starshadow. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” I cry. Everything just starts to compound. I haven’t escaped Bilgewater. I’m still trapped. They are cutting out my eyes. I can’t see. I can’t stop screaming and apologizing.

“Leilah!” Starshadow calls out. I can’t stop screaming and begging for them to stop hurting him.

“Please! Stop hurting him! Please!” It bubbles out of my mouth. Something touches my shoulder. I scream and fight it. The hand removes itself quickly. That confuses me. No one in that place ever let go of me.

“Leilah? Can you hear me?” Someone whispers. Someone I haven’t heard before. I shake and curl up into a smaller ball. “Leilah, you’re in Ionia. You’re not in Bilgewater.” I catch a face near mine. It’s not a face from Bilgewater.

“Ku...sho?” I whimper. He reaches his hand out to mine again. I struggle not to flinch when he touches me.

“It’s me. It’s Kusho. Can you hear me?” Bilgewater starts to fade away. I gasp for air as I look around to the men all looking at me in concern. I bury my face into my arms.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

“No wonder why you didn’t want to talk about Bilgewater.” Govos comments. Shen taps his shoulder. “What? Leilah’s just like us now.” I shiver.

“Leilah is nothing like us.” Shen defends me.

“No. He’s not wrong. Everyone here is haunted by something.” I murmur. Starshadow wiggles himself into my space.

_ You did the best you could in that situation. _

“I let you get taken.” I protest.

_ No, we were both struggling to deal with after the teleporting effects. None of this was in your control. You couldn’t have stopped me from getting taken.  _ Starshadow nuzzles me. 

“I want to go home.” 

_ I know. I wish you would be safe, but you’re going to see things like that more often. You’re going to be in those situations, and sometimes it’ll be worse. You have to be strong, Leilah. _

“Say a joke.” I ask out of the blue.

_ What? _

“Just tell me a joke. I can’t… Make it go away.” I plead. Starshadow bites his lips.

_ Yone’s pecs were mighty fine to feel, weren’t they?  _ Starshadow teases me. I glow brightly.

“Why would you bring that up, of all things?”

_ I’m sure you liked being in his arms too. _

“Starshadow…”

_ And, you never got to kiss him. What would he taste like? Especially after- _

“You made your point!” I squeal. 

_ And oh, I’ve heard stories from your Mother about how your Father wooed her, I can imagine-  _ I throw the snake away before he finishes.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Starshadow!” I scream. I’m glowing quite brightly. After a moment, I notice that Kusho, Shen, and Govos are all blocking their vision. I cough and try my best to not glow so strongly. “Um, I’m sorry.” I apologize.

“You are back in the real world. That is all that matters.” Kusho states. I take a shaky breath.

“What will you do with me now? Now that Starshadow is awake and I’ve recovered, where do we go?” I ask.

“You could come with us.” Shen suggests. Both Kusho and Govos look at him confused. “She’s struggling to stay grounded. So are we. It would help her greatly if she is surrounded by others who have seen as much pain as she has.” Kusho and Govos look at each other. I bite my lip. Starshadow perches himself onto my head. 

“Would it not be better for her to go with the boy from the village?” Govos asks.

“I’m not ready to go back yet. I promised that I would go back when enough time has passed. It hasn’t yet.” I state firmly. Kusho takes a moment to himself before he sighs and nods.

“If you are going to be with Leilah, you are going to have to promise that you must to your best to protect her.” Starshadow demands. All the men look intrigued.

“Why should she be our priority? The Golden Demon is our target.” Shen asks.

“She is the Aspect of the Borealis. She carries the power of hope. She also carries another soul, one that gifts her new and untold powers. She is Hope personified.” Starshadow declares.

“Uh, more like I house his best friend. Humans can find hope on their own. Everyone in Runeterra can.” I murmur shyly.

“Perhaps they can, but it never hurts to hear someone else help.” Kusho argues before he kneels in front of me.

“I promise to protect Leilah to the best of my ability. Until I can not move or breath.” Kusho vows. I see a glow appear in his heart. He seems lighter after the vow takes. “I will not let you down.” 

“You really didn’t have to do that, Master Kusho.” I protest. I try to pull him to his feet.

“As long as I live, I vow to protect Leilah, the future of Runeterra.” There’s a very sharp glow that even I have to cover my eyes. When I look back, Shen and Govos both look stunned. Kusho looks much more relaxed.

“Father?” Shen asks.

“We will succeed, Son. We will get the Golden Demon, and we will succeed in our mission. Protect what means the most to you.” Kusho instructs the boys. Shen and Govos both bow their heads.

_ What was that?  _ I think to Starshadow.

_ I’ll ask Aurora. Maybe it’s a part of her magic? _

“Master.” Both state in unison.

“Now, we have to plan how to deal with the Golden Demon.” Kusho walks away, Shen and Govos following closely.

“Wait!” I yelp and scramble to my feet. Kusho halts. “I want to help.” Kusho turns his head towards me. “He’s hurting people. I have to help. It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t do anything.” I whisper. Kusho nods.

“Come then.” I bounce up to his side. “We’ve discovered that the Golden Demon has a rather dark way of killing his victims. He leaves them in grotesques poses and leaves them in public places. I would not show you his works as I know that it would greatly leave scars on you.” He walks to a room where there’s a map of Ionia. I see red flags tagged in locations all around Jhyun.

“Are those where he’s struck?” I ask, pointing to the flags.

“Yes. Now, we don’t know where he’s going to strike next, or who. We are at a bit of an impasse.” Shen points out. I bite my lips.

“You mention that he puts his people in public places and they are left in poses?” I ask. Govos nods. “What if they are poses, but not grotesque? What if they’re-”

“Art.” Govos finishes, slapping his face. “It’s art for this psycho. And he wants everyone to see it.” 

“If this is art that he wants, he wants everyone to see that art.” Shen picks up.

“So, he needs a public place with quite a bit of people in it. And nothing has satisfied him as each body we have examined is more and more distasteful, he wants the most beautiful death.” Kusho and I watch as the boys pick up each other’s thoughts and bounce between each other. It’s clear to see they are close as they could follow each other’s thoughts.

“So, what could provide the best scene where lots of people would be?” Shen asks.

“We don’t have a timeline either as to when he will strike.” Govos rubs his head.

“Um, excuse me?” I interrupt. Both of them look at me. “I’m new to Ionia, so I don’t know much, but what would people gather for?”

“Well, there’s the spirit festival in a year. That would certainly bring him out.” Shen adds.

“Do you know where?” I ask hopefully.

“It’s a festival all over the country. Though I heard there would be a huge festival in the Jyon Pass. ” Govos adds. I sigh.

“How likely would it be that he waits until the festival to strike?” I ask

“Not likely at all. He usually causes a murder every month or so.” Shen comments.

“Then we can’t wait until the festival to catch him.” I sigh

“Perhaps we can narrow down the location based on where he’s been.” Govos adds in. We all look to the map and think.

“Has he ever struck in the same place twice?” I ask.

“A couple of times. We just can’t narrow it down yet.” Govos sighs. I hang my head, feeling their exhaustion. I bite my lip and try using a bit of magic, casting a little bit of sparkling lights. I bite my lip as I use a little more magic to provide some warmth. I collapse from the attempt, but I notice that all the men seem to relax a moment before they notice me fall.

“Leilah!” Shen catches me before I hit the ground.

“I’m ok. Just used some magic to make you guys feel better.” I gasp. Starshadow slithers onto my shoulder.

“Why?” Starshadow demands.

“Wanted to help.” I whisper. 

“We’ve been living this life for three years, Lady Leilah. We are fine.” Kusho tries to convince me.

“Don’t call me a lady. And it doesn’t matter how long you’ve dealt with this, everyone can use a pick me up.” I state. “Pantheon needed it, and he’s a hero.”

“Who’s Pantheon?” Govos asks.

“He’s a Targon Hero, who fought against those that would kill all of Runeterra. He bested an enemy that the gods couldn’t, but he walks a lonely path. I met him, listened to him, and helped him feel better. He’s much older than me, but he could still have used the cheer.” I explain. Everyone is silent.

“Thank you, Leilah. That was very kind of you. Are you sure that you want to help? It will scar you for life.” Shen whispers.

“I’m already scarred.” I mutter darkly before forcing myself to stand and walk out. I feel a shiver run down my spine when I remember Bilgewater.

_ Will I be able to get over that? _

_Ho boy, this arc is going to be a charged one. She's on the hunt for a serial killer while also fighting her newfound PTSD. Will she be able to recover or will she be crushed from watching what happened. Who knows?_

_Leave a review please! I love hearing how you think about the story. What you liked and didn't like. And who knows, an idea you have might even get to make it to the story at a later date!_


	23. Opening Up

_ “Hello there, bastard!” The cruel man comes into my cell. I flinch and back into a wall. It’s been a few years since my capture. I’m exhausted and afraid. I feel around, more frightened when I realize that I can’t see. It’s total darkness. “Do you have any eyes for me today?” He sneers in my face. I feel him grab my eyelids and lift them higher before he slaps me. “What is this? Where them eyes? Are you holding out on me?” He snarls. _

_ “N-n-no! I can’t make any more!” I plead. _

_ “Oh, that’s the excuse you're going with? Pity. Well, I suppose if you can’t see, there’s no need to keep you alive.” _

_ “Leave her alone!” Starshadow’s muffled voice snaps. I hear the man stumble trying to grab the bag. There’s sounds of wrestling as Starshadow fights the man, but Starshadow’s too weak. _

_ “You talk? Well, now you’re worth something. Why should I help ya?” The man demands. _

_ “I’ll kill you for blinding my best friend!” Starshadow hisses threateningly. There’s a sharp snap and an immense pain in my heart. I sob when I realize that the connection to Starshadow, one that I never even knew was there, snapped. _

_ “Good luck killing me when you're dead.” The man laughs. I start to sob. “Oh, by the way, I got you a gift. A little man washed up on my dock. He was demanding if anyone had seen a girl with very unique eyes. He asked the wrong crowd.” The laughs as a body is thrown into the cell. It lands nearby. I hear a slight groan before a gasp. _

_ “Who is this?” Yone asks. _

_ “The girl with unique eyes.” The cruel leader cackles. “Not so unique now, are they?” _

_ “How dare you! How dare you be so weak!” Yone snarls at me. I scream as a loud boom echoes in the room. I reach out slowly before I feel a pool of liquid. I touch the liquid and shiver when I realize it’s blood. _

_ “Well, that’s a pity, His swords should be worth some gold. And maybe your organs too…” I feel the man grab my arm and pull. “Wake up, Leilah!” He screams in my face. “Wake up!” _

“Leilah! Leilah, you’re dreaming!” Starshadow yells in my ear. I scream and throw him across the room. He hits the wall with an oomph. I can’t stop screaming with tears streaming down my face. I hear him groan in my head before seeing him slither up the bed to coil right in front of me. “Leilah, I’m here! I’m alive! Yone’s alive! You’re in Ionia! Remember-”

“I remember, Starshadow.” I gasp out. The room echoes with my panicked gasping for a bit before I finally get control. “I remember.”

_ Glad to hear that. What was the dream about this time?  _ Starshadow asks in my head. I bury my hands into my knees.

“I can’t.” I cry.

“Leilah, you can’t keep quiet about it forever. It’s not good for you.” Starshadow persists. 

“I CAN’T!” I scream at him. I jump up off the bed and run out the room. I keep running until I’m outside. I fall down in a heap, sobbing. I couldn’t talk about it. I’m afraid, in pain, and I just… I can’t.

“Leilah?” Shen asks. I flinch and turn towards him. As it’s still nighttime, I panic for a moment when I don’t see anyone.

“Shen?” I squeak.

“I’m right here.” Shen tells me. I jump as I turn around. He’s sitting next to me. “Nightmare?” He asks. I flinch and look down. “What was it about?”

“I can’t.” I whisper.

“Ok.” Shen quiets down and turns to look at the sky. I freeze before turning to him.

“You’re not going to ask me some more?” I whisper.

“You aren’t comfortable talking yet. I will say that acknowledging that talking is the first step to healing, but it is also the hardest step.” Shen murmurs quietly. I shiver from the cold. Shen pulls off his cloak and drapes it onto my shoulders.

“Thank you.” I whisper.

“You’re not the only one with nightmares.” Shen confesses. “Father and Govos, we both have them as well. The golden demon leaves rather… distasteful deaths behind.” Shen starts to tremble. “I can’t even imagine the victims, how they felt. It’s just… It’s just awful.”

“Do you want to talk about something else? To ease our minds?” I ask. Shen nods, thankful for my topic change.

“You told me about your history. Let me tell you ours. The Kinkou Order is a part of Ionia. We usually hunt demons to exorcise them.”

“Demons?”

“Yeah, like the azakana. We uphold the balance of the spirit realm and the physical realm.”

“Oh. But that’s the history of the Kinkou order. I want to hear about your history. What made you who you are today?” I try to bring Shen to the more positive aspects of his life.

“Well, you know my Father is Kusho. He’s one of the leaders of the Kinkou. He’s calm, open-minded, and kind. Govos was an orphan. Father took him in. Govos proved himself to be a great pupil. Father took Govos as an apprentice. He’s actually set to be the next in line to be the Eye of Twilight, that’s Father’s title, the one that sees more than everyone else. Growing up under him was interesting. He was never a harsh man, but also was not an active part of my childhood until I started to train.

“One of the leaders?” I ask.

“Another is the Fist of Shadow. My young friend Akali, her mother is the Fist of Shadow. She’s terrifying with a weapon. No one has ever beaten the Fist of Shadow. She completes all her tasks given to her. And there’s Kennen, the Heart of the Tempest. He’s a yordle, but his easy handling of the tempest themselves has made our Order accept him into our ranks as a leader. He’s the first and only one with that title.”

“Eye, Fist, Heart. The eye sees everything, the Fist defends and attacks, and the Heart connects the two?”

“Exactly that. Anyway, I was a rather playful child. I was a troublemaker for sure.”

“Oh yes. Pantsing everyone in the council?” I tease. Shen gives a light chuckle.

“Yes, that used to be me. Oh, the trouble I would get us into. I miss those days. From what I remember, Kennan was teaching our younger students the art of shurikens. Akali loves to learn about those. I remember that she and Kennan would just go running out of our village to go train.” Shen stops himself, stunned. “I haven’t thought about them in so long. I wonder how everyone is doing.” Shen quiets. The silence that follows is a comfortable one. I take a deep breath.

“I want to make a deal with you.” I jump at how loud my voice is compared to the quiet from before.

“And what deal might that entail?” Shen asks after a moment.

“For every bad thing I can talk about, you do the same.” I choke out. Shen looks at me in concern.

“I’m not sure that is the wisest-”

“As much as I hate to admit it, Starshadow is right. I can’t… I just can’t keep bottling it up. I can’t sleep. And you’re right, I need to heal. You’re hunting a demon and I’m around you and we just can’t let the demon find and eat me while you guys are out there, so I need to get better. I can’t… I can’t let this go on.” I feel my tears fall quickly down my face. Shen stares at me for a moment before nodding. I curl up into an even tighter ball than I already am. 

“Starshadow and I, we arrived in Bilgewater passed out. I don’t know how long we were out, but when I woke up, I was surrounded by children. They took Starshadow before I knew it. I didn’t know that Starshadow was gone then, though. There was a house, some loud bangs happened. I watched a big man stumble out and run. I had to decide between a burning house or the culprit. I chose the house. I thought I could find someone there that needed help. A little girl needed me. I saved her, but we were crushed under the debris. When I woke up again, she was gone. I squirmed out of the house right before it fell. That’s when I noticed Starshadow was missing. I met a demon, terrified me. I ran. The whole day, I tried to find my best friend. I was slapped and thrown to the ground. I didn’t even have any food or water, just all I could do was think about where Starshadow was. Some men, they had Starshadow and were told that someone on the streets was looking for them. He found me and knocked me out.”

“This… This is the nicer part of the story. Before I went searching for Starshadow, I met a woman, so desperate for money that she tried…” I choke. Shen wraps an arm around me to comfort me. “She tried to take my eye. My right eye. She punctured it. I was in so much pain, but she grabbed my head and forced my eyelid open to see if she could salvage it.” I sob. Shen tenses for a moment. Sensing that I wasn’t going to be talking for a bit, He talks.

“One of the most recent bodies, the flesh was burned to the bone. There were flowers in the flesh. Some of the bones have even chipped so that a flower could be in depth as well. Her eyes are what haunt me the most. She clearly knew what was happening. Even worse, some of the marks, they were healing. The demon, he actually tested how to kill someone like that.” Shen stammers. Both of us are crying openly now. “What’s worse is that she was young. Your age. There was even a note under her. ‘I will find true beauty.’ This girl was tortured to death, and the note says that even in death, it wasn’t enough!” Shen rages quietly. I reach over and hug him. We sit in silence, Shen to remember the girl, me to prepare myself to speak.

“My turn?” I ask. Shen nods. “I came to in a cage. The man who caught me was a lackey. Their leader, he was taunting me, making fun of me. He heard about my eyes and was impressed. Right before them, my right eye was healing. It was actually starting to clear. The leader, he decided that my eyes just had to be of value…” I stop, truly unable to keep going. Shen squeezes me tightly, giving me a little bit of courage. “He cut them out.” I whisper.

“How-”

“Do I still have eyes? Turns out, I have very good healing magic somewhere. My eyes regrew, and the leader would keep cutting them out. Starshadow was being held in a bag, not wanting to access my magic. He heard me scream in pain for days. It wasn’t until Starshadow was desperate enough that he pulled on my magic, something that we rarely ever do.”

“Why?”

“I’ve only had my magic for about a year, not to mention the other magic inside. I don’t know how to use it.” I explain. “As a result, it’s not good for me to use magic unless we are desperate. Starshadow thought of using an illusion, so he drew my power into himself. He… He saved me from torture after that. We fooled them for such a long time, I don’t even know how long we were there. All I know is that I grew very sick. Not eating and constantly using my magic to keep me safe, I weakened and caught a bad cold. It wasn’t until someone came to buy me that Starshadow escaped and we ran into you.” I gasp out. I’m full on shaking and unable to move. Just talking about it, I can see it all happening again. I take deep breaths and dig my hands into the ground. The images slowly pull away and I tremble in exhaustion.

“...You are certainly strong if you were able to survive that.” Shen comments lightly. I shake my head.

“I died, Shen. I know I did. Starshadow almost sacrificed himself to bring me back. I’m not strong. I couldn’t help Starshadow.” I scream.

“You stayed alive, Leilah. That’s what counted.” I jump when I feel Starshadow slither up to my neck. “You’re alive. That’s what matters.” Tears flow faster as I hug my best friend.

“Feel better?” Shen asks.

“Not really.” I confess.

_ You’re ok, Leilah. You’re ok.  _ Starshadow comforts me.

“You will feel better, Leilah. I promise.” Shen affirms Starshadow’s claims without knowing what my snake said. “Do you want to go back to the monastery?” 

“No. Not like this. They’ve already seen me sick. I want… I want to be someone strong, someone he doesn’t have to protect. I need to prove this, to myself.” I try to say firmly, but my voice still wavers. I yawn widely, exhausted from reliving that moment.

“He?” Shen teases. I glow. He laughs. “Go back to bed, Leilah.”

“What about your troubles?” I ask. Shen freezes before nodding.

“I did agree to our deal. The Golden Demon, he’s a bold one. He killed someone right in front of everyone. We were there. We were so close to the demon and saving lives. We had been scouting the perimeter of a courtyard. Everything was fine, beautiful. A traveling band was performing. Govos and I were allowed to watch it while Father scouted. It was fun. Govos and I, we could finally smile. Then it happened. There was a massive explosion of red. The blood landed on everyone. Everyone was screaming. Govos and I raced to the site of the explosion. The person was still alive. He was breathing, but only barely. His back was covered in those same flower petal shapes we found on the girl’s back. When we went around, we almost threw up. His blood was sprayed everywhere. That man died right in front of us. Everyone watched it. After the square was cleared, Govos, Father, and I had to dissect the man. I never want to see another thing like it in my life.” Shen shakes hard enough that I can see his hand struggling to not move. I hug him.

“Well, aren’t we a fine group?” I try to tease. Starshadow snorts.

“We’re broken and sad. A very fine group indeed.” Starshadow deadpans. We give hollow laughter before we calm down again. I feel my exhaustion catch up and I curl up in Shen’s lap. Shen looks very alarmed as I do so.

“Just… I can’t be inside a room yet.” I explain. Shen nods and relaxes. He brings a hand up and gently runs his hands through my hair. I relax and close my eyes.

For the first time in so long, I sleep peacefully. I feel safe and relaxed. I barely wake up when Shen picks me up to bring me back inside, just enough to know what is happening. The next morning, I wake up back in my room, the sun risen high in the sky. Starshadow’s curled up on the pillow next to me. I carefully pick him up and cradle him. He shifts into a more comfortable position and just keeps snoozing. I smile before walking into the bathroom. I carefully heat the bath up to comfortable levels before shedding my clothes. I lay Starshadow into my clothes. He buries himself in there with a groan. I climb into the tub, relaxing. I feel better than I have in ages. Talking about my past with Shen was surprisingly helpful. I close my eyes and just soak.

_ How warm is the bath?  _ Starshadow’s sleepy voice calls out to me.

“It’s perfect. Wanna come in?” I ask, holding out my arm so Starshadow could climb onto it if he wants to.

_ You know, for someone who is super shy about men, you don’t mind me.  _ Starshadow remarks as he latches onto my arm.

“That’s easy. You're like a sibling, remember? And you’re not a human. Besides, you slither around my clothes so much that there’s almost nothing to hide from you.” I complain as I pull him into the water. I hear him groan in satisfaction.

_ I never ever ever want to leave this bath. Ever.  _ Starshadow states. I giggle.

“You’re going to get wrinkles.”

_ I’m a celestial. I never get wrinkles. _

“I can see the worry line appearing on your scales.”

_ You lie!  _ Starshadow twists around to glare at me. I laugh.

“I’m serious! Your scales around your eyes are getting cloudy!”

_ I’m going to shed, you great annoyance!  _ Starshadow snaps. 

“Ew, not on me!” I yelp and throw him out of the tub. He slithers to my towel and starts to rub off the skin. I quickly lean out of the tub and grab his tail. “Fine, you can do it here, but don’t get my towel all gross!” I haul him back in. I hear him snicker.

_ Help me?  _ He asks. I sigh and start to rub his scales on his face. It takes a bit, but his nose scale does pop off. I rinse his nose and help him peel off the scales.

“I thought you were a celestial snake. Why are you shedding?”

_ I’m a celestial being, but I do have a snake form on Runeterra, so I go through things normal snakes go through. _

“You’re a celestial…”

_ I chose to be this way, Leilah. I want to distance myself from the stars. I want to… _ Starshadow trails off. I can see him fighting his mind before he sighs.  _ I want to stay away from that part of my life. I was alone, I was bullied for being someone who supported my Father. I couldn’t fight anyone. Then Soraka called for help from the stars and I attached and met you. When the second being touched us… I took most of the power. It changed me so much that I don’t look or sound like a light being anymore. I’m more of Runeterra. And I chose to let the bond between us dictate our powers. I’m a celestial, but I’m not of the stars anymore.  _ Starshadow confesses. I realize that Starshadow is struggling to cope with his past as well. He’s telling me now, hoping that I would open up to him in return.

“My dream…” I start. Starshadow snaps his head up. “I dreamed that I could no longer regenerate my eyes. They were going to kill me when you finally piped up. You snapped, claimed that you were going to kill them.” I tremble.

_ Well, that’s not entirely wrong.  _ Starshadow mumbles in my mind.

“He… he… snapped your neck. He killed you.” I whisper. I sink into the water until only my nose was peaking out. Starshadow swims over to me and cuddles my face.

_ Do you want to talk with your mind? _ Starshadow offers. I shake my head and rise up a bit to talk.

“I want to say it out loud. He told me that Yone went searching for me. They threw Yone into the cell. He thought… He thought I was… weak… Just so weak…” I sob. Starshadow remains silent, rubbing his scales on my head to comfort me. “Then the man shot him. I could feel his blood, his body. And then the man grabbed and screamed at me. I woke up then.” I shakily tell Starshadow. Starshadow pulls away, half his face shiny and half cloudy.

_ I’m so sorry Leilah. If I had just used magic earlier, then maybe I could have saved you.  _ Starshadow tears up. I stare in shock as snake tears drip into the tub.

“Neither of us wanted to use the magic. You and Yone told me only in dire circumstances since I get super tired and sick easily. I wasn’t about to die, so I didn’t use it.” I try to reason with him.

_ It doesn’t matter, Leilah. I should have protected you from that, regardless of if you thought it was dire. _

“We can’t change the past. Now, let’s get the last of that stubborn scale off your eyes, shall we?” I ask. I feel Starshadow roll his eyes at me while he lets himself be cleaned. I carefully peel off his eye caps. He sighs and sinks into the tub. I roll my eyes and pick him up.

_ Hey! I was enjoying that!  _ Starshadow protests.

“We still need to meet the others. They’re meeting to figure out what to do next.” I remind him. Starshadow grumbles while I dry us.

_ You ok?  _ Starshadow suddenly asks. I pause for a moment.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be ok, but last night… It felt like the right step.” I confess. Starshadow brightens up a bit before nuzzling into my neck. I smile just as warmly.

_ That’s right. I may never be the same person I was, but I’m on the right track. _

* * *

_ I'm not about to drag out her pain so long that she's practically useless. I'm not that cruel. I also know that she needs time to make her breakthroughs, so I'm sorry, Leilah! I promise that you'll be alright for a bit at some point! On the plus side, she's going to be hunting a very familiar champion now. Wonder who she'll bump into on her journey besides the Kinkou order! Stick around to find out! For all you ordinary people out there, live your life to the extraordinary!. _


	24. Moving Forward

**Warning: Bit of a graphic violence. It's a small part, but I'd rather not trigger anyone. it's marked out, so if you don't like violence, feel free to** skip. On that note, Onto The Kinkou Order investigation!

"How did you sleep last night?" Kusho asks me. We had been traveling all around Ionia for the past three months, following the trail of this Golden Demon, or at least attempting to. We made a stop by a city called Navori. I turn towards him with a smile.

"For once, well. Shen really helped me. I haven't woken up screaming in a month." I reply.

"I'm pleased to hear it. There's been another murder. I will be taking Govos and Shen with me to investigate." Kusho informs me. I frown.

"I'd like to come. Maybe a pair of fresh eyes-"

"You are a comfort to us at the end of the day, someone that we strive to protect. You need not be weighed down by our burden." Kusho firmly tells me. I frown.

"You haven't gotten anywhere is a long time. I could help! Just don't leave me alone with Starshadow again. He's going to be pestering me to go help anyway." I plead.

"My word is final. You need not see what we see." Kusho turns and walks out. I glare at him while Starshadow slithers out my collar.

_Well, I guess I know where we're going to be then._

"And where's that?"

_We're going to follow them._

"I'm pretty sure they'll find us easily."

_Not if we use magic._

"You know that makes me feel ill!"

_Precisely why I want to use it. Maybe if we keep using it, we won't be as sick._

"Until then, I'm practically a walking target. No thanks."

_Oh, I already know Kusho, Shen, and Govos know what you're going. They won't let anything happen to you._

"Kusho said to stay here."

_Is that the farmer girl or the Aspect talking?_

"What the difference?"

_One will follow any rule given, the other will do what needs to be done, no matter what._

"Which one can I choose?"

_You're not a farmer girl anymore, Leilah! You're an Aspect! The borealis! You are hope! How can you possibly give hope to people when you're stuck inside?_

"I don't want to-"

_Are you going to let that hold you down forever?_

"Starshadow, I still don't feel safe, even if my nightmares stopped a bit…"

_I'm sorry, Leilah, but you are going to be in worse situations. It's better to start while the Kinkou Order is here to help._ I glare at Starshadow.

"Are you going to keep pestering me to go until you win?"

_Well, you can always go back to the sword school and be with Yone without actually getting anything done. I don't know if he'd like that._

"How shallow do you think I am?"

_Considering the fact that you refuse to do anything until I push for it, I'm going to get all my shots in. And to answer your question, you're a teenager..._

"Fine, you win! And not because of Yone!" I snap. I take my first few steps outside and immediately feel on edge. I scan the area quickly, looking for unsavory people.

_Knew you wanted to go too. And totally because you want to accomplish something for Yone._

"You're annoying. So, what's the first step?" I shake.

_Well, we need to catch up to them. They already left!_ Starshadow yelps. I search the area for them, but they were much faster than we gave them credit for. _Well, how do we find them now?_

"Or we can go back to where it's safe?"

_We're safest by them. Now, go find them._ Starshadow pushes.

"You have an idea, oh great one?" I snap.

_Well, I don't know! I'm not housing the Aspect. You are._

"You're the celestial!"

_Oh, that automatically means I know everything? Do you finally admit to that?_

"You shouldn't say such obvious lies, Starshadow. I wouldn't be able to hold your weight." I snap.

_Well, do something!_ Starshadow retorts. I roll my eyes.

"You're not helping!"

_Why haven't we mastered teleportation magic yet?_ Starshadow moans. That gives me an idea.

"We might not have mastered teleportation, but I have mastered light illusions. Maybe… Will you keep an eye out and wake me up if anyone comes?" My voice shakes.

_You know I will._

"Thanks." Starshadow falls quiet. I take a deep breath and concentrate on connecting to that dark being.

* * *

" _Hello?" I call out in my mental world. I search for the dark spot, hoping to find it._ The lights shimmer in the light river.

I thought that it would be best if you didn't call for him _. Aurora appears beneath me. I kneel on the edge._

" _Well, as far as I know, his ability is the one that lets teleport. We need to get where the most recent murder is." I explain._

He's asleep. Though, I have to ask, why don't you use my magic? _She giggles. I'm sure my confusion shows on my face._

" _What can your magic do to help me?"_

You carry the Aspect of Guidance or Hope. I'm sure you can find a way to guide yourself to where you need to be. _She laughs._

" _So, what would I need to do?"_

Well, borealis' aren't exactly pinpoint accurate, they're a bit nebulous. You would still need a little bit of access to His powers as they provide the location. He's asleep right now, though… _Aurora looks over uneasily to the dark hole in my river of light. I peer into the spot to see his dark ridges glow and darken with each breath he takes. He whimpers and snarls in his sleep. He looks so vulnerable and terrifying at the same time._

" _How much would I access?" I ask._

It might wake him up. You would pull at his core just enough to get a location, so it's possible that it won't wake him up. My magic will do the rest. _She hugs me. I jolt in surprise, but return the hug regardless._ I know you've been struggling lately. I'm sorry I can't do much to help. _I tear up a bit._

" _Why? Why can't you do much?" I start to sob in her arms. She glows to comfort me._

I am not Pantheon. He took over his host. I will not take your body. I… I have to let you go through your life the way you can. Even if I so desperately want to help, because of my choice when I first arrived, I can't interfere. I wish I could, but all I can do is get Him to help.

" _Bilgewater? My eyes?" I ask._

He was regenerating and healing your body the entire time, though he was rather angry about being awake because you got yourself captured. I was keeping him calm enough to ensure he would keep healing you and not attempt to possess you.

" _How?" I ask._

That explanation would take too much time. You have a crime scene to get to, don't you? _She gently pushes me out of my mind. The last thing I see before I leave is her reaching into the hole._

* * *

"I got an idea." I tell Starshadow. I think for a moment. Like Aurora said, the dark being is the one to take me places and chooses a location. If I can just combine Aurora's magic, targeting someone who is feeling lost or in danger… _Govos!_ I close my eyes and try calling on the magic, hoping that the dark being's magic would find Govos and Aurora's magic would create something that could allow us to find them...

_Leilah, what did you do?_ Starshadow asks in my mind. I open my eyes and feel a little bit proud. Right in front of us is a thin, white light. It leads to our right. I start to run, wanting to get to the Kinkou Order as fast as I can. _Are you sure you can run right now?_ Starshadow clutches to my neck tightly.

"We need to get there as soon as possible."

_Kusho told us we shouldn't!_

"And you told me we should!" I yell at him. Thankfully, it's not long before we reach the city, but my recovery from Bilgewater didn't include running. I'm panting and leaning my knees for support. I can't help but look around, glancing at everything. I don't know who would want to hurt me. I instantly hate myself for it and slump down with a groan. Not even a moment later, I feel a sudden burst of energy.

_Huh. Didn't know I could do that._ Starshadow comments in my head.

_What did you do?_ I ask through my mind. As we are in a city, I don't want to look like an insane person talking to no one. Better to keep a low profile. No one would want to kidnap me as long as I'm not noticed.

_He's feeling a little less crabby, so I took the chance and might have used a bit of his magic to boost your energy. I'm kinda happy with it._ Starshadow gloats.

_You're insane. He was asleep at our lodgings!_ I protest.

_Yeah, well he's awake and Aurora's been keeping him calm. For now anyway._

_Wait a second, how do you know about that?_

_I can access your little world that connects to Aurora and Him whenever I want. I took a peek and used some magic before he cripple-_ Starshadow twists sharply against my neck. I flinch as his scales rub harshly enough to leave a mark.

"Starshadow?" I whisper.

_Not doing that again for a bit. He's not happy. I'm gonna be in that mind realm for a bit. You keep following the light._ Starshadow tells me quickly before his body goes limp against my collar. I roll my eyes but accept his statement. I gulp and force myself into the crowd. Everytime someone gets too close, I flinch and try to pull away. It's hard, walking in a crowd, but I'm just too desperate to get to the Kinkou Order to stop. I walk towards the middle of the city when I accidentally bump into someone.

"Sorry." I apologize, my shoulder instantly on edge. _Is he going to kidnap me?_

"It's alright." A gravely smooth voice tells me. He keeps on walking away. I keep moving forward. I exhale and rub my shoulders to calm myself down. I'm about to walk past an alleyway when I hear weak sobbing. I instantly turn towards the sound. It's dark enough that I don't immediately see the shape of a person until I trip over them.

**-** **Possible Trigger Warning** -

"Help… me…" A man cries weakly. I create a ball of light in my hand and scream. The man, his entire body is lacerated. Blood pools out of his wounds. I feel even sicker when I notice that his blood isn't pooling normally. It's flowing into indents in the ground. Most of the design is under him, so I don't see it. All this blood, I feel it in my eyes. I gulp and force myself to keep moving, to try to help.

"Hang on a second. I'll try to help." I stammer out before resting my hands on his side. He's so weak that he doesn't even flinch. I squirm and shudder when I realize that I am touching his ribs and organs.

- **All Set -**

"SOMEONE HELP!" I scream. I quickly cast a bright ball of light to illuminate us. Some passerbyers notice and scream when they see the blood of the man. "SOMEBODY HELP HIM!" I yell. Everyone starts to panic. After a couple of seconds to the sounds of everyone getting agitated, Starshadow wakes up.

_Wha-WHAT IS HAPPENING?!_ He yelps.

"I need to calm these people down!"

_You have magic, maybe that would help?_

"Good to know!" I yelp before sending out a massive burst of magic. Everyone freezes, voices and all. My vision is black, but I can still feel the man's blood flowing under my fingers. I hear the Bilgewater kidnapper laugh. I quickly shake my head to keep me in the present. "I need someone to get the Kinkou Order. Is anyone a healer?" I demand, releasing my magic to allow people to do as I say. I see quite a few people go running off somewhere, hopefully to find who I need.

"I'm a nurse-"

"Good enough. I need help now!" A young man comes running to help. He stops right at the injured man's side and sighs.

"He won't make it. He's lost too much blood." He tells me. The injured man's eyes flutter. He looks so scared. I grit my teeth and dig in deep.

_Leilah, don't-_

"I don't have a choice, Starshadow!" I snarl. My hands glow. The nurse looks at me confused.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to save his life." I snap. I call on the magic that saved my life in Bilgewater. If it can regenerate my eyes, I bet it can save his too.

_He's too far gone, Leilah._ Starshadow mutters in my head mournfully. _Your magic won't keep him alive._

"I have to try!"

_Let him go, Leilah._

"Not yet."

"Help…" The man starts to cry. He looks so afraid and in pain. I cry. He reminds me of myself when we escaped. When I died. That's when I know I can't save him. And I have to accept it.

I change how I use my magic. No longer do I want it to heal. I just want him to stop hurting. His glazed eyes relax as my magic does as I want it to. He still looks afraid to die.

"It's ok, sir. You'll be ok." I murmur in his ear. Something in my chest loosens, but I decide to ignore it for now. With one final push, I create a little borealis right in front of his eyes. He focuses on the lights and gives a soft smile. He looks like he's at peace now. His eyes close for the last time. I finally acknowledge my own feelings. I feel my own peace as well. I know that Bilgewater will always haunt me, and I know that sometimes it will be harder than I want it to be, but I will be ok. The anxiety in my chest disappears.

_Leilah?_

"I'll be ok. That's all that matters. Everything will be ok afterwards." I give a small laugh in relief right as my stomach starts to rebel.

"Miss? Are you o-" The nurse can't even finish when I turn to the side and throw up. I can't get the image out of my head, his fear and pain. It's overwhelming me. The magic I used also playing a part in my illness. Once I can't throw up anymore and only dry heave, I curl into a ball. His death starts to mix with my experience in Bilgewater. I know how bad torture is. I know what he felt as he died. I was lucky enough to have Starshadow to bring me back. This man has no one. Just knowing how he felt cripples me. I just cry. It's so hard to breath. I feel the nurse check my body for wounds. He sighs, relieved, when he finds no injuries. Once he's done his check, he stays nearby. I relax a bit. Even if I feel like I've accepted what happened to me in Bilgewater, I still feel better when someone is nearby. I don't know how long it was before the Kinkou trio arrive. I couldn't stay conscious long enough to know.

"Leilah?" Shen's voice calls to me. I groan and struggle to open my eyes. "Leilah, are you ok?" He asks. I finally manage to open my eyes enough to see Shen kneeling in front of me.

_Starshadow, can you talk for me?_

"Leilah wore herself out trying to keep the victim alive. When she realized she couldn't save him, she made it so that he would pass peacefully and now can't do anything except think." Starshadow informs Shen, annoyed.

"That corroborates with the public's story." Kusho interjects. "I'd just like to know what you think you were doing here?" I flinch at his disapproval. He's been so kind to me, and I let him down.

"She wants to help, Kusho. Quite frankly, so do I. Even if she looks young, she's really not. She's two years younger than Shen and Govos. She can know." Starshadow defends me.

"Master, maybe they can help. She was healing the man. There are signs of the wounds closing from magic. And she might have encountered the demon. It would be best to keep her by our side from now on to ensure she is safe." Govos tries to help. Kusho thinks for a moment.

"Very well, on the condition that she trains her magic. I will not have her passed out like this again." Kusho relents. I smile.

"That's nice and all, but can we get Leilah's story?" Starshadow snarks. I roll my eyes and give Starshadow my side. He's quiet until I finish telling him. "After she was done running to find you guys, she exhausted herself. I used a bit of magic to help her get back on her feet and got knocked out for it. That's all I know. Leilah said that she kept going, trying to find you. Near an alleyway, she heard someone cry for help. She walked in and tripped over the victim. Right then, she tried to get help by yelling. Adrenaline must have kicked in here, since she lasted so damn long I'm amazed she didn't pass out before he died. I woke up as the crowd noticed and started to scream. She stopped the panic and had some people get you guys. A nurse stepped up and assessed the man as a lost cause. She chose to give the man a peaceful send off before the toll of using magic affected her badly. She threw up and passed out. Right now my magic is keeping her awake." Starshadow finishes. He starts to sound a bit breathy.

_Are you ok?_ I ask

_Yeah, I'm fine. Just need to check, did I get everything?_ Starshadow starts to pant.

_I think so._ I try to think of anything else that stood out to me. _I bumped into someone just before I found him, but I didn't get a good view. Probably not important._

_Probably. You rest now._

"Shen, would you take her back to our lodgings? We will discuss how to train her when she's capable of being awake. Govos, with me." Kusho instructs. I feel Shen pick me up right before Starshadow's magic no longer supports my conscious thought.

_Maybe these three can teach me more about my magic than the monastery could.\_

* * *

Yeesh, Leilah, you really need to get that magic under control, but it's nice to see her in an emergency and keep her head super calm. She's certainly going to need that. I'm glad that she's truly starting to accept what happened to her and she's feeling a bit better, though it's too bad someone had to die for it. Still, progress! She's outside, she's pushing past her own pains to help others. She's going to be ok, as she said.

Hello, ordinary people! I'm incredibly happy that so many of you have kept up reading this so far. Have a great day and be extraordinary!


	25. Nightmares and Training

I bolt upright and turn to the edge of the bed throwing up. No nightmares in a month means nothing when I saw someone die. I immediately feel exhausted. I want to stop, but I just can’t. Eventually I can only dry heave, but I keep seeing the man die, with his blood on my hands.

“Leilah!” I hear Starshadow yell for me. He’s perched on Shen’s shoulder as Shen runs into the room. I give a weak groan.

“I’ll clean it up.” I whisper and move to get up. Shen is quick to come to my side and push my back down.

“I’ll take care of it. You rest.” Shen stays to make sure I don’t fight him. I nod and relax. He leaves to go find some cleaning supplies.

_ Go back to sleep, Leilah. I’ll watch over you.  _ Starshadow tells me. I nod and try, but the man’s face flashes before my eyes. I gasp and sit up.

“I can’t. I keep seeing his face as he dies.”

_ Leilah, I know that seeing someone die in front of you for the first time is terrifying, but- _

“I’m not afraid of someone dying, Starshadow. I’ve seen people die in my village.”

_ Then what is it? _

“I… I know what he was going through, Starshadow. I know how much pain he was in.” I rub my shoulders as I feel a knife point at the corner of my eye. I flinch before looking at Starshadow. His tail was raised up to wipe a tear away.

_ Sorry, you started to cry and I wanted to wipe it away. _

“It felt like my eyes were going to be pulled out again.” I start to cry.

_ I’m sorry, Leilah. I didn’t mean to make you remember like that. _

“It’s ok. At least that man’s in an ok place.” I wipe my tears away hastily.

_ What do you mean? _

“I’ve been where he was, Starshadow.”

_ That’s not the same, Leilah.  _

“I watched him die from a horrible condition. If I didn’t have you save me, that could have easily been me. I should have done something” I whisper. Starshadow is silent for a moment.

_ It wasn’t your fault, Leilah. Let it go. _

“I could have saved him, Starshadow. I know what he was thinking. He was scared. I could have saved him. I’ve been to the brink of death and come back.”

_ Leilah, you couldn’t do anything. No amount of power in the world could have saved him. _

“I should have.”

_ But you couldn’t. Let it go. _

“I SHOULD HAVE, STARSHADOW!” I scream. “I should have.”

_ You and I both know that you couldn’t. What you did was the best you could do. _

“But Starshadow, I know what it’s like to die. I should have saved him.”

_ I know what it’s like to almost die as well! At the top of Mount Targon, you think they were going to let me live? Hell, no. If you had accepted anyone other than Aurora, I would have been killed right then and there. We both know it. You saved me, and I am grateful to it everyday. _

“I feel like it’s my fault that he died.” __

_ You can’t feel guilty for them, Leilah. _

“How can you say that?” I whisper.

_ I’ve lived a long life. I can’t keep grieving for each individual person, Leilah. _

“Why not?”

_ Cause you all live depressingly short lives?  _ Starshadow snarks. I glare at him before forcing myself to stand up.

“Excuse me, Starshadow. I’m going outside. Don’t follow.” I snarl. Starshadow is taken aback enough for me to hobble out the door. I lean against the walls of the little hovel as I make my way outside. It’s dark outside. I fall onto the ground outside and just start crying. Even if I know that Shen’s awake and the entire Kinkou Order is nearby, I feel restless, like I’m missing something. I pull myself into a ball and just keep crying. A hand touches my shoulder. I flinch and pull away before I realize that it was Shen next to me.

“You shouldn’t be outside, Leilah.” Shen mentions as he takes a seat next to me.

“I can’t be inside. Bad dream.” I explain. Shen nods. I look at the stars for a moment, looking for Pantheon’s constellation. I couldn’t find it. I start to cry, never realizing how much looking up at the stars and seeing Pantheoncalmed me. Everything I knew is different in Ionia.

“What has upset you?” Shen asks gently.

“I didn’t realize how much I missed the stars I knew until now. I always drew comfort from seeing Pantheon’s constellation. Now, who’s constellation do I look up to now?” I whisper.

“You don’t need a constellation, Leilah.” Shen rubs my shoulder. “You’re a shining light all by yourself.”

I think about his words before I look up to the sky and will a borealis to appear. The saddest lights brighten the sky, full of blues. Shen stares at the sky and shakes his head.

“Your magic, it’s powerful and inspiring. There’s no need for it to be so blue. What are you feeling?” Shen pushes. I feel all my emotions from the past few months bubble to the surface. The borealis mimics it.

“I’m annoyed. Annoyed that my magic taxes me.” A streak of green-yellow filters into the sky. “I’m angry that I couldn’t save that man.” A violent red filters into the lights. “I’m scared that I will never be able to do anything.” Black sneaks into the edges in the sky. Shen shivers. “I’m afraid that I will fail.” I finish.

“I’m happy to have met you.” Starshadow speaks out of nowhere. I jump into Shen before turning to see my snake’s head barely above a few blades of grass. “I’m… grateful to have a family, to be a close friend with you. I’m proud of you, you saved Yasuo and that girl, you gave Yone hope. You gave me hope too, when you let me stay by your side.” Starshadow’s scales change from the pure black to a soft dark green with hints of violet in them. Even the dot on his head and eyes turn a soft pink color. He glances up to the sky. I follow his gaze. 

The sadness, pain, and anger of the lights have changed. They aren’t purely sad anymore. Starshadow’s feelings have woven into the lights. His colors slowly begin to even out my own. Now the borealis is full of feelings. Fear, Depression, Happiness, Pride, they all weave into a beautiful sight. I can’t help but feel comfort from it. That if it’s in the sky, it’s ok to feel that way.

“You stated that you felt you didn’t have anything to look for. I don’t think you will ever have to.” Shen sounds breathless from just observing the lights. I reach for the sky with both hands and spread my arms wide open. The lights follow my instructions, spreading across the sky as far as the eye could see. I feel happier and more at ease. I laugh. The borealis loses it’s negative colors, becoming a beacon of comfort. Exactly what I needed.

“Thank you, Starshadow.” I murmur.

_ Now who’s the greatest celestial in the world?  _ Starshadow preens. I roll my eyes and pick him up. His scales return to their normal black and red.

“You are. I’m sorry for lashing out.”

“I know why you did. I’m not mad. I’m worried about you, Leilah.” Starshadow voices out loud. “Can you handle all this? I’m sure Aurora would allow you to return to normal.” Starshadow tempts me.

“I’ve started a journey. I want to see it to the end. Besides, Aurora might let me go, but I’m not sure about the other one.” I smile before giving a huge yawn.

_ Yeah, he’s… He’s not going to. Not anytime soon. _

“Come back to sleep, Leilah. We can start figuring out what you can use your magic for in the morning.” Shen coaxes me. I nod and allow him to guide me back to my bed. The puddle of sick is gone.

“Thank you, Shen.” I whisper as I go back to sleep.

“Good morning, Leilah! Rise and shine!” I hear Govos cheer. I groan.

“Why are you so happy?”

“I saw the most beautiful lights in the sky during the night and finally got some sleep. I’m happy to be happy.” Govos explains. I groan and cover my head. “Come on, Leilah! I’m your training partner for today. Shen and Master are going to be going over the new evidence that you found yesterday. I get to have a break.” I peak over at him.

“Who are you and what have you done with Govos?” I complain.

“I had a very relaxing night. I told you that already. Think fast!” Govos yells as he throws a fruit. I yelp and throw my hands forward as he finishes tossing his arm. I feel myself get a little nauseous, a sign of my magic being used. Amazingly enough, the fruit falls at his feet. Govos didn’t let go of the fruit until the end. Govos and I both look at each other in confusion. “Leilah?”

“Try again?” I ask. He picks up another fruit and attempts to toss it, only the fruit remains in his hand this time. He looks down to his fingers and attempts to let go. He even goes as far as to grab his fingers to pry himself loose, but fails. My nausea rises the longer he fights my magic.

“How are you doing that?” Govos asks. I shrug. When I’m not concentrating on his hand, he drops the fruit. The nausea reaches an all new peak. I groan and clutch it. “Interesting. That magic makes you sick?”

“My best guess, one magic can manipulate the body. Light magic and body magic.” I state.

“Can you rip my skin open?” Govos asks quietly. I shake my head no.

“I can’t. Discovered that when I was training with Yone. Any intent to harm I feel the pain.” Govos nods before grabbing a knife and slicing it against his wrist. I yelp when I realize that his wound is deep enough that it won’t stop bleeding immediately.

“What were you trying to do?” I demand. I jump over and press my hands against his wrist. The feeling of sickness increases for a bit as I actively call for that magic. My vision blurs, but I refuse to stop. Govos’s blood thickens under my fingers. My breath turns shallow as the dead man’s face appears before me.

“Leilah!” Govos yells in my face. I jump and back away. “Leilah, you healed me. You’re a healer!” Govos cheers. I look at his wrist to see that his wound has been healed. I look at my hands, covered in his blood.

“How are you feeling?” 

“The same as before I cut myself. Don’t worry so much. I knew how deep I could go without killing me. But that magic is impressive.” Govos comments. I roll my eyes.

“Well, if I was such a good healer, I wouldn’t have lost that man.” I snap.

“We had a trained healer look at him. Even they said that with their abilities, he was too far gone. They would not have been able to give him a peaceful death.” Govos informs me. I blink.

“How were you able to find a healer that fast?” 

“The nurse that helped you, once we had collected you and convinced him you were safe, he grabbed a Master of the healing arts. The man analyzed the wounds and told us his verdict.”

“Oh.” I blink. “What did he think?”

“From what he said, the magic used on him was meant to last long enough for a more experienced healer to see him. His wounds were just too great for anyone to heal him.”

“So, I didn’t have a chance?” I ask.

“Not really. I’m sorry Leilah.” Govos hugs me. I sigh into his embrace.

“I’ll be ok.” I whisper.

“Good to know. Though, I have to say, I’m more interested in your ability to make me hold onto a fruit when I didn’t want to.” Govos comments.

“Starshadow did something similar for me. He made the man t-t-torturing me believe that he was when in reality I was healing and safe.” I mention.

“Interesting… Is there anything else you can do?”

“Well, the only way to know is to try.” 

“As long as I am supervising!” Starshadow barks out of the blue. Both of us jump.

“Why?” Govos asks.

“Because I know that Leilah will push herself far too much and I can tell when she’s too tired to keep going.” Starshadow glares at me pointedly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I sniff, mimicking Starshadow’s pompous attitude.

“Rude.” Starshadow snarks. I roll my eyes. “But that’s interesting. You’re not throwing up.”

“Well, I don’t feel great.” I get out before I gag harshly.

“Still, that’s massive progress. First few weeks you were incredibly sick and unable to do anything after a small bit of magic. You almost died in your effort to help Yasuo. Now, you’ve used quite a bit of magic to manipulate our views, and you only gagged and feel a little tired. That’s huge progress!”

“It’s not that much, Starshadow.”

“That’s a huge leap! You poured your energy into healing that man and giving him peace. Not many healers can do it as quickly and strongly as you!” Starshadow argues.

“When I can use the magic without feeling the need to throw up or pass out, I’ll let you know. Then we can call that progress.” I shut down the topic. Govos just listens intently to our conversation for a bit. He contemplates something.

“Well, since you’re not feeling super well, why don’t we try training you in basic blocking?” Govos asks.

“Oh, Leilah’s boyfriend already started that.” Starshadow answers. I glow furiously.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” I yelp.

“You have a boyfriend?” Govos asks at the same time.

“No!” I squeal.

“The monastery, the one just starting to grow a goatee, that’s her boyfriend.” Starshadow adds nonchalantly. I tackle him and hold his mouth shut.

“We’re not dating!” I panic slightly. “He’s focusing on becoming the best swordmaster he can before journeying with me.”

“That sounds like someone wanting to protect you. Maybe being your boyfriend?” Govos smirks.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” I repeat hotly. 

_ Sure he’s not.  _ Starshadow snarks in my head. I glare at him. Starshadow turns his head slightly to look behind me. I duck and roll forward before turning around to see Govos’ impressed face. He picks up a few strands of hair that he cut off.

“You have decently fast reflexes, but you still got caught. What would happen if I tried to grab your hair instead of cut at you? Be quick!” That’s all the warning I get before Govos attacks. They are nothing like Yone’s sword swings. Govos is in my face constantly. With Yone, he kept his distance. I had more time to react to his attacks. Govos forces me to react instinctively and instantly. It isn’t long before his legs sweep my feet from under me. I barely even fall before I’m back on my feet. Govos and Starshadow are stunned.

“Leilah, how did you do that?” Starshadow asks.

“Do what?” I feel the very familiar feeling of over exertion and black out.

“Leilah! Leilah, wake up!” Starshadow’s muffled voice rings in my head. I groan and twitch a finger. “She’s ok.”

“It appears that whatever she used, it’s not very familiar to her.” Shen’s voice assesses.

“No kidding. I’ve never seen her do that before!” Starshadow argues.

“What happened?” I ask. My vision clears enough to me to see everyone, including Shen and Kusho, crowding my bed. “Guys, too close.”

“You’ve been out for a day.” Govos fills me in as he helps me sit up.

“Wait, what?”

“During your spar with Govos, your shadow melded into the air and held you up.” Starshadowstates.

“What???”

“You never touched the ground until you were back on your feet. How did you do that?”

“I don’t know!”

“Have you ever manipulated the shadows before?” Shen asks.

“No, I-” I start to deny before stopping. I remember that there was one time where I used the shadows. “I used it as a shield when Starshadow was missing.” I breath out.

“And Yasuo, when you gave him cover, that wasn’t body manipulation. That was an actual, physical manifestation. We couldn’t see what was giving him shelter. Could that have been that magic?” Starshadow asks.

“I don’t know!” I yelp. I stand up a bit shakily, but manage it without too much trouble. “All I know is that I didn’t want to hit the ground and I needed to get back on my feet as soon as possible. Yone taught me how to roll properly, so I just used my momentum from falling to get back on my feet!“

“That’s actually fascinating. There’s another magic you have. Light and shadow control.”

“That makes three magics? No, that’s too much for me. I’m just a farmer.” I protest.

“Regardless of what you were, you are incredibly important and powerful now.” Kusho interrupts.

“I pass out from using a little bit of magic! How am I powerful?”

“You can grow into those powers. You’ve already started. All of us can see it. You’ve grown stronger. Your experience in Bilgewater hasn’t stopped you. You saved a person from dying in pain and fearful. From what Govos has told me about your history, you couldn’t do that before.” Kusho states.

“I… I... “ I falter before running out the door and the hovel. It’s just too much for me to handle.

_ Can I truly be as powerful as they believe? _


	26. On her Own in Navori

I ran to the city after my outburst. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but I found myself standing in front of the site of where the man died. I fall to my knees, exhausted from running and remembering. I reach out to touch the ground. It's still stained with his blood. I cringe when I see a flower scored into the road. The man's blood makes it extremely obvious. My fingers touch the dried blood. Tears start to fall down my face.

"Star-" I want to start a conversation with Starshadow when I remember I left him behind. I panic a little bit. I'm truly alone in a place I don't know well. I curl into a ball and silently start to sob. I'm scared, terrified. _Am I going to get kidnapped again? Starshadow, he won't know where I am. I need to go back._ I try to stand, but my legs won't work and I just fall back down again. _Starshadow, help me!_ I tuck my head into my arms and just shake.

"Miss?" I slowly look up to see a passerby standing at the end of the alleyway. "Are you alright?"

"Don't hurt me!" I scream and back away. My breathing becomes incredibly shallow as I panic. Everything warps into Bilgewater. The man becomes my tormenter, I feel backed into a corner and throw my hands up. Dirt flies up and the man jerks away. _Wait.._

"Miss, I'm not going to hurt you. Take a deep breath, ok?" He asks. I shove my hands into dirt.

_I'm not in Bilgewater. I'm in Ionia. In Navori._ I mentally chant until I start to take even breathing. I look up and see concern in the man's face.

"Miss, you don't look very good. Why don't you come with me?" He asks.

"No!" I yell and bolt past him. My heart is pounding in my head. I shove past him. Everything blurs around me. What feels like forever is only long enough for me to run into a crowded area. _It's ok. I can yell. Someone will notice and care right?_ It doesn't exactly matter what I think. I'm just too tired to keep going. I sit next to a vendor stand to just center myself. I wipe my tears and cast a little magic to disguise my tears. It's a little draining, but I don't want to look weak. Maybe that's why I was caught in Bilgewater. The vendor looks at me closely.

"Do I know you?" She asks. I glance up, feeling a little confused and frightened. She takes a small gasp. "It's you, the girl that cried out for help to save that man! I know it's you, no one else has multi-colored eyes here!" She proclaims. A few of the other people turn when they hear her cry and stare at me. I glow a little bit, confirming that I had the exact magic that got the public's attention a few days ago. "That was very brave of you to try and help that man. Here, have this. You look exhausted." The kind vendor quickly grabs a kebab and hands it to me. I blink from her sudden kindness.

"T-t-thank you." I hesitantly take the kebab from her and nibble on it. It tastes great. My memories flash of not getting enough food and I wolf it down.

"It's nothing, dear. You did your best to help that man. I heard that even though he was dying, you brought him peace before he died. Now, don't forget to breath. Goodness, when was the last time you ate?"

"How did you-"

"It's a city, dear. With someone dead, nothing is kept quiet around here." She smirks before turning back to her booth. "Let me know if you need anything else. We could use more people like you."

"More people like me?" I ask, confused. _Maybe she's nice._

"People who won't stand aside when someone they see needs help. The stupid colosseum isn't going to be doing the children any favors…"

"I'm sorry, colosseum?" I ask. Before she can reply, a young man a little taller than me comes to her booth. He's clothed in rags. He has two tufts of red hair sticking out from his head. He knocks on the lady's booth. She turns, sees the man, and sighs.

"What are you doing here, Settrigh? You know that no one wants you around." She sounds exasperated by the appearance of a child. I frown from her treatment of him.

"Please, Ahna. Mother's starving, and no one wants to let me do some work. Can you spare some scraps?" He asks. Ahna sighs before shaking her head sadly. _She's sad?_

"I have to think of my business, Settrigh. You know that when your father left, your mother is scorned, just like you." Ahna is apologetic. It's clear she wants to help him, but can't do it so openly. _Mybe she's nice. Should I chance it?_

"I get it." he sighs. My heart breaks a little bit for him.

"Hey, half-breed! What do you think you're doing, bastard!" Some teens taunt him. The man's hair flattens quickly before turning away. I finally realize that they are ears.

"Leave me alone." Sett snaps, clearly agitated. I stand up and look at Ahna. _I'm scared, I don't know anyone, but I have to help._

"Do you have any more food, ma'am?" I ask, somehow managing to keep my voice steady. She turns to me with a frown. I glance over at Settrigh. Her eyes widen before she grins widely.

"I did say if you needed anything else. What do you need?" She smirks.

"Well, I need to grab some food for my friends." I smirk just as widely as her. _She is nice. I think I can trust her._

"How many people?" She asks. I turn to the boy who is still on guard.

"Settrigh, was it?" I ask, getting his attention. His ears twist a bit towards me. "How many family members do you have?" I whisper.

"Just me and my momma." He turns to look at me out of the corner of his eye, confused. I smile and turn back to the vendor.

"Do you have enough food to spare for two more?" I ask sweetly. Ahna grins even brighter. _I know I can._

"I'm sure I can." She quickly pulls off eight kebabs cooking and wraps them in a bag. She hands them to me. "Thank you for doing everything you could."

"Allow me to try to help a little bit more." I state before flicking my hands. Suddenly, her kebabs of delicious meats and veggies waft through the air, gaining the attention of many people. I even add a little bit of a glow to her stand. Seeing that glow makes me feel better. Lights from the borealis are comforting, even if they are on wood of a stall. Many customers are unable to ignore her shop. They come flocking, demanding that they get a little bit of her food. Ahna's eyes widen considerably before she begins to cook as fast as she could.

"Warn me next time you offer to help!" She yells. I give a light laugh before I look for Settrigh. It seems like he was swallowed up by the crowd as they all came pushing for some food at Ahna's stand. I weave my way through the crowd. I frown when I can't find Settrigh or the children who were insulting him. I look to the other vendors in the area, all trying to get some customers away from Ahna's booth. My anxiety spikes, but Settrigh might need help. I take a shaky breath and go to the first vendor I see.

"Excuse me, did you see a man with red hair and vulpine ears come this way?" I ask. The vendor glares at me.

"Why should I tell you that? That half-beast bastard deserves everything he gets. No dumbass deadbeat dad to help him out." He snarls. I glare and casually flick my hand to obscure his booth a bit. I take a deep breath and focus my magic into finding Settrigh. The light that I've come to understand as guidance appears in front of me and leads to a nearby alleyway behind me. My hands tremble. _Could I fine Settrigh's dead body?_ Just the thought makes me push past my anxieties. I force myself through the crowd again, following the light. As I get closer to the opening, I hear grunts and the sound of someone being kicked. I run around the corner to see Settrigh curled up in a ball, holding still. The other teens don't care, just kicking him while he's down.

"Hey!" I yell. The teensagers don't even give a damn. They keep kicking him. "Leave him alone!" I scream. One of the teenagers leaves the group punches me. I fall down with a grunt.

" _Have you got my eyes today, wench?"_ I feel dirt under my hands and use that to ground myself.

"Stay out of it, kid." The teen spits on me. I see Bilgewater and that feeling of hopelessness. I can't stand it. My magic is stronger now. It reacts violently this time, freezing all the children in place. That gives Settrigh a chance. He attacks right back, landing fist after fist on them. I blink in shock. Before he was just taking it. Now, he's dishing it out. The other teens run past me, crying about how the half-beast beat them up. In the end, Settrigh's standing, panting as he calms down from his adrenaline rush. He falls down against the wall, wincing. I push myself to stand and walk over to him.

"Are you ok?" I kneel down and check his face before checking the rest of his body for injuries. He looks away from me. _He defended me. He won't hurt me. I think._

"Yeah, they just got the drop on me, bastards. You're not going to beat me up too?" He asks sullenly. I pull away for a moment.

"Why would I do that?"

"All the other kids do it."

"I'm not like other kids." I tell him before sighing. "Settrigh, could you pull your shirt? I need to check the rest of your body for injuries." Sett snaps back.

"What are you, a pervert?" He demands. I roll my eyes at his defensiveness.

"No, I'm not a pervert, I'm a healer. Let me look at you." I snap. He backs away.

"Why would you want to heal me? Ever since my dad left no one wants to help. Even Ahna didn't want to help!" He cries out. The longer I'm in here, the more chances I get to be kidnapped. I allow my worries to control my actions, but I refuse to let him see it.

"You're acting like a child, Settrigh. Besides, why wouldn't I help? It's the nice thing to do. Now hold still!" I grab his right arm. He winces. I narrow my eyes and pull up his sleeve. His arm has two bends in it, one at the elbow and one below, indicating a broken bone.

"You're going to make it worse!" Settrigh complains. I glance around for anyone hidden in the shadows before glaring at him.

"Sit down now before I make you." I snap. Settrigh glares at me, challenging my claim. I sigh and cast a little extra magic to force Settrigh to sit. I feel a little more drained, but it's nothing I can't handle. _What happens if someone- Settrigh can fight. He'll see them and tell me._ I feel my thoughts try to make me afraid and do my best to stop it.

"What the hell?" He yells. He sits in front of me with his legs crossed with his arm held out to me. I close my hands over the break.

"Hold still or it won't be fixed!" I take a deep breath and concentrate on healing his arm. The bones slip right back into place and heal up as nausea swarms me. I let go of his arm and body with a gasp and blink rapidly to clear my vision. I can't help myself and do another quick scan.

"You… Healed my arm?" Settrigh sounds amazed. I nod, reaching up to rub my eyes. "Why?"

"I don't care who your parents are, or what you are. No one should be treated like that." I pant. I fumble with the bag of kebabs I got and hold them out in his general direction. I feel him grab the bag.

"Wha- but this is your food!" Settrigh sounds so confused.

"I got the food for you and your Mother, kid. Now go home and give that to her."

"You don't look good." I hear Sett stand up before he places his hands under my arms and pulls me up. I immediately try to find a surface I can brace myself against if I need to defend myself. Settrigh pulls one arm around his shoulders to support me. "And I'm not a kid. I'm almost seventeen and I'm taller than you." He complains.

"That makes you sixteen. Maybe not a kid, but you sure do act like one." I snark back. _It seems like Starshadow's rubbing off on me. That and I'm still nervous._

"Hey, you want help or not." Settrigh's voice cracks.

"I never asked for help. Thank you for that by the way."

"You're annoying." Sett tries to make a comeback. I roll my head towards his direction.

"I'm sorry, did you just say 'you're annoying'? What kind of comeback is that?" I laugh. _That's right, focus on banter. No one is here to get you for your eyes or kill you. There's too many people_

"Shut up." He grumbles. He takes me out of the alley and into the marketplace. I hear people gasping and crying out.

"What did you do to her!"

"How dare you!"

"You animal!" I hear the crowd scream at him. Settrigh shrugs his shoulders in a bit, as if trying to brace himself. It is rather overwhelming with how loud the crowd is getting. I hear something hit his side. He grunts, and I have enough. All the anxiety that I hold just bursts out.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I scream as loudly as I can. I feel even more tired as my magic enhances my voice. Everything quiets down to food sizzling. "What is wrong with you people? You attack someone for something he has no control over. Should I treat you poorly just because you're human? Because you have human ears?"

"You're human too!" Someone cries out. I lift my head weakly into their direction.

"I'm not a pure human anymore. I have more power in my pinky finger than any of you could dream of! Why should I treat you kindly? Because it's right! Because it's kind! Because it makes the world a better place! You all take a moment to think. He is a member of this community. A part of your city! And you all allow him to be beaten? What in all the countries in Runeterra lets you think that you can treat someone who has done nothing wrong to you like that?" I scream no one speaks. "Well?"

"He's a beast." A bold person cries out.

"To me, everyone who partook in his treatment is more of a beast than him." I snarl. My legs give out. Settrigh is quick to react, cradling me. "Would any of you have caught me like Settrigh did, or would you let me fall." I ask. No one speaks. "Now leave him alone." I finish weakly. The marketplace is extremely quiet. Settrigh starts to walk, very tense. I hear people shuffle away. Settrigh takes more confident steps. I allow myself to pass out once I'm sure that Settrigh won't be attacked as we walk.

"Settrigh! Are you alright, son?" A female cries out. I open my eyes weakly to see a beautiful light purple haired fox human race out of a shack. She glides over to him and checks him for injuries. She barely even knows that I'm there.

"Momma, I'm alright. I even got some food." Sett pulls his head out of her grasp. He gestures to his hand with the food. She takes it from him before finally noticing me.

"Son, why did you bring a human back with you?" She asks while getting defensive. Sett places me down on the ground to hold his hands up to her.

"Momma, she's a nice one. She helped me out when I was in a bind and some dumbasses got the jump on me." Settrigh tries to calm her down. She looks at her son carefully for lies. I struggle to sit up. My hands dig into the dirt when I see her claws. _I'm in Ionia. I'm not a captive. I'm in Ionia._

"Ma'am, he was definitely in a bit of trouble. I think one of them ambushed him from what I could tell. His arm was broken." I rat him out. Sett glares at me as the lady makes a mad dash towards him and checks his arms. "I healed his arms and strengthened his bones. That should help him not get injured as badly." I explain. She freezes before glaring at me again.

"What do you want? A debt? What do you want from him!" She screams. She looks ready to kill. Settrigh sees her aggravation and stands between the two of us. My vision flashes between Bilgewater and Ionia. _I'M IN IONIA!_

"Mom, please! She just helped out! You know how you are when you're hungry!"

"I won't let anyone take advantage of you, Settrigh! The vastaya are too strong to be slaves to anyone!"

"Mom, she doesn't want anything. She's not like that." Settrigh really tries to calm her down. "Just… get to know her." The vastaya mother freezes, glaring daggers at me before nodding and relaxing.

"The moment she makes a bad move, I'm killing her." She snarls.

"I just need some time to recover. I won't move a muscle." I whisper, completely afraid. She snarls and takes a step.

"I'm keeping my eye on you!" She snaps. Settrigh pulls out a kabab and offers her the food. She takes it and eats it quickly before smiling at him. "What a kind young man you are." She coos. I blink from her rapid change in behaviour.

"I know what you're like when you're hungry, Mom." Settrigh hugs her. She sighs before turning to me.

"I apologize for my behaviour, uh, what's your name?" She asks.

"Leilah. My name is Leilah." I introduce myself shyly.

"Leilah. That's a nice- what is going on with your eyes?" She narrows. Her hands grab my face and tilt it up to stare directly in her eyes. I struggle to stay still as her gold fox eyes peer into mine. It's like staring into the eyes of a predator. _Or someone who wants your eyes to themself._ "Wow, you are an interesting one. A possible match for my son." She almost squeals. I pull away at the same time Settrigh balks. _She didn't dig out my eyes. She didn't try to kill me._

"Woah woah woah, Mom. I'm sixteen!" Settrigh protests.

"Well, she's the only person we know that is kind to you. She's pretty. She has two unique magics." She spills.

"How do you-"

"I'm a vastaya, dear. I am a being of magic. I'm sure I can recognize it, though I've never seen magic come from the stars instead of the ground." She looks even closer at me. "There's another magic too. I've never seen it black though." She pokes at my chest. "What does that magic do?"

"Uh, um. That's something I don't even know." I squeak. _She doesn't want my eyes, but what does she want?_

"Mom, you're being a little bit pushy there." Settrigh grabs his Mother's arm and pulls her away. I relax onto the ground.

"Just let me breath for a bit and I'll be on my way." I murmur as I close my eyes. I don't sleep though. I don't know if someone will want to kidnap me, even if there's a vastaya nearby. I hear Settrigh and his mother start to murmur to each other.

"Mom, please don't-"

"Just think about it Settrigh. After your father left, it must be hard for you to-"

"Mom, I really don't-"

"You wouldn't have brought her back if you didn't think she was something."

"She helped me, that's all."

"She's special, Settrigh. She can help you, be by your side!"

"Mom, please just-"

"She's a healer too. She's a powerful girl."

"Mom-"

"Just think about it son. In the meantime, keep an eye on her until she looks a bit better. Alright?" Settrigh's mother whispers to him. There's silence for a moment.

"Alright, mom. You win." Settrigh sounds fond of her.

"Thank you son." She hugs him tightly. Time passes by peacefully. When I feel much better, I open my eyes and stand up. I'm a little bit shaky, but I stay upright. Settrigh jolts when he realizes that I'm awake.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better than before, thank you."

"Sorry about my mom. Magic is disappearing from Ionia. It makes it hard for her to concentrate. From what I hear, most Vastaya are physically ill. She's been going a bit mental since Dad left and she loves me, even more so than before. I remember when she'd wipe my tears with her claws. I want her to be happy, but it's hard when your genes are thrown in your face constantly." Sett explains, a hand running through his hair. "I don't think I've ever told another person about my life."

"That's ok. I have a mother who's just as protective. I get where you're coming from." I give a smile, hoping to comfort him. He nods his acceptance. He is still calm, and that keeps me calm. I clear my throat. "If you don't mind, could you take me back to where we met? I have some friends and an overprotective snarky brother that are probably really concerned about me." I tell him.

"Sure, but do you mind if we make a pit stop real quick?" He asks with a smirk. I raise an eyebrow. He's watched over me and done nothing, so I should be able to trust him.

"What are you asking for, Sett?"

"Huh, Sett. I kinda like that." He comments lightly before shaking his head. "I'd like to take you somewhere I heard was cool. As a thanks for helping." Sett's face turns a little bit red before he clears his throat and offers me a hand. "Will you?" He asks. I bite my lip before sighing. _I need to get home, but I… I don't want to be held back. Besides, Sett will be there, right?_

"It can't hurt too much, can it?" I give a soft smile before taking his hand. His face lightens a bit before he runs off. I follow him closely. "Aren't you a little young to be looking for a life partner?" I call out.

"You heard that?" Sett freezes.

"I said I needed to recover, not that I needed to sleep." I retort. Sett shakes his head.

"Momma has always done her best to take care of me. If she says you're ok, you're ok. Besides, I'd rather be your friend first. Huh. Never had a friend before. That's interestin'" Sett comments while we run. He takes us through the marketplace. I wave a hand at Ahna as we pass by. She rolls her eyes with a smile as she waves back. We round a corner and I freeze for a moment, stuned over the massive building that I've never seen before.

"What is that?" I ask.

"That's the colosseum, but that's not where we're going. There's a pit fight nearby. I'm kinda curious to see what that's about." Sett smirks.

"Your mom doesn't seem like the kind that wants her son running off and hiding things from her." I protest as he pulls me into an alcove. I don't want to be here. He knocks on a trapdoor before turning to me.

"No, which is why she won't know about it." Sett smirks at me.

"She will when I tell her."

"Look, my dad left when I was young. From what I remember, he was a pit fighter. I want to know what kind of world he was a part of." Sett pleads. I take a deep breath and nod. _I need to get past this fear. It's consuming me._

"Fine. We'll go see." I give in while also telling myself that I can do it. He smiles as the door opens to reveal a heavy weight, sweaty man.

"You got money to bet?" He asks. Sett freezes for a moment. I casually pull out an illusion of coins and pull a few coins out. His eyes stare greedily at me. I almost take a step backwards and bolt, but seeing Sett's face look so interested and hopeful, I force myself to stay. "Well, come on in then, and bring your boy toy with you." He somehow manages to get out of our way. Sett goes in first before offering his hand. I raise my eyebrows.

"You seem more like a ruffian than a gentleman." I tease, trying to put my mind at ease.

"Mama didn't raise an animal." Sett snorts. He pulls me to his side. The fat man closes the door and leads the way. I notice him glancing at me every now and then and press myself closer to Sett. He notices and glares at the man. The man straightens and continues to walk us into a hidden arena. I pull away slightly to look at the place.

It's dark outside of a ring. Men are cheering and trading coins with each other. In the middle two men are fighting. They continue to match blow for blow. I cringe as each man slams their fists into the other. I feel Sett pull forward, drawn to the adrenaline of the ring.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Sett asks.

"Not my preferred past time, I'm afraid." I whisper. Sett turns to me before nodding.

"Right. Healer. Sorry." He moves to go back to where we came from. I pull his arm back.

"No, no, it's ok. You want to feel a connection with your dad. This is the place. I can tell you enjoy it too." I assure him. _There are fighters here. Maybe one will help you. Even then, Sett's here. He took care of those teens like nothing. I can help._ He freezes for a moment before giving a genuine smile.

"Ya know, you're not that bad. I might be tempted to offer you a date."

"You're going to have to compete for someone on that." I try to dissuade him.

"Oh? I got some competition?" Sett sounds intrigued. I sigh before patting his arm.

"I'm not looking for a relationship." I state firmly. He nods.

"Yet." There's a loud bell that grabs our attention. I turn back to see a man knocked out and bloody. I wince and do my best not to move closer to heal him.

"The big man has been taken down! Give it up for Goliath!" He yells. The audience cheers. "Place your bets here, boys. Goliath vs Spider!" he calls out. The man fighting turns around and smirks as a lean, thin man crawls into the ring. I cringe when I notice his limbs are almost bent backwards. Sett leans onto the wall of the ring and joins in with the cheering crowd.

"Get him!" He yells. I smile and stay right where I am. I don't want to get closer, but I don't feel safe. The fat man comes towards me.

"Don't you want to get in on the action?" He asks, looking for my bag of gold.

"My friend is more interested than I am. He's got the bag." I explain, hoping he'd leave me alone. There's a loud crunch as Goliath punches Spider out. I wince at the sound. Sett returns to my side.

"That was amazing!" Sett says excitedly. I sigh in relief and nudge his arm. Sett looks down at me.

_Your dad?_ I mouth. Sett's eyes widen before he nods and turns to the man.

"These pit fights are awesome! I heard about them. My dad used to fight in the pits. Maybe you've heard of him?" Sett asks hopefully.

"Gonna need some clues before I can say." The man gruffs.

"He's got red hair, large build, might've talked about his vastaya family." Sett tries.

"Oh, that man! I heard about him. Heard he found a better contract to fight. Said he never cared about the family. They weigh him down. Held him back. Glad to hear he ditched 'em finally. Though, if he'd known what kind of man you'd grow into, I'm sure he wouldn't have ditched ya." The man sneers in Sett's face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a match to set up."

"Put me in the ring." Sett's dark voice echoes. I bite my lip and grab his shoulder. _No. No no no. I need you to stay here._

"Sett, can you take me back now?" I ask, scared by what he is thinking.

"Put me… In the ring…" Sett snarls. He actually moves forward and grabs the fat man's collar and pulls him forward. I grab his hands and pull on him.

"Sett, please-"

"Alright kid. Goliath needs another doll to punch." The man agrees. "But I need a bit of gold from ya."

"Leilah?" Sett sounds enraged. I shiver before I fake some gold and hand it to the man. He takes it with a grin.

"Goliath has a new doll to fight! Place your bets as his next victim takes the ring!" I finally walk up to the ring and mentally prepare to watch the fight. Sett might be a big sixteen year old, but he's tiny compared to Goliath.

_Please, Sett, don't get hurt._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Leilah. it looks like she got sett back a little bit from that death and being separated. XD. Had to throw in the pun. And she's on her own without her best friend of Starshadow. And now she's in a pit fight. Hope you guys are excited for Thursday. I'm wrapping up Sett's interaction with her for her Thursday and on Sunday, e're back to hunting down the Golden Demon.
> 
> I'm super glad you guys are reading and following. I'd love some more reviews, hint hint. May your ordinary day be extraordinary with you in it!


	27. End of Terror, Onto the Next

“Look kid, I like a real competition. I don’t need to crush your life from you.” Goliath laughs. “What’s the matter? Think your daddy taught you enough to survive?”

“No, I’m going to kill the man when I see him.” Sett snarls. He throws a left hook at the man’s face. Goliath’s head snaps around and he stumbles into the wall. The ring goes quiet. Goliath touches a hand to his lip. I notice a bit of blood on his finger. He smiles.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it now, kid. Boys?” The crowd swarms around me. I feel someone grab my arms. I start to flail. It’s starting to feel a bit too much like BIlgewater, where I couldn’t do anything. “Here’s the deal, boy. You win, we let the girl go. I win, you’re dead, and the girl is my consolation prize.” He laughs. I start to hear the man’s voice in my head, calling me a prize and a trophy, a product. I had enough of being afraid, of letting myself be captured. My magic reacts to my emotions, boiling and begging to be released.

“I’m not anyone’s prize. Not then, not now, not EVER!” I scream and allow my magic to burst. The men holding me quickly release me as their hands are forced to let go. Their bodies walk away from me quickly. The ringmaster looks furious at them.

“Grab the damn girl!” He yells and tries to grab me himself. His entire body stops short. I give the sharpest glare I could from the magic exhaustion I am feeling.

“Don’t you touch me!” I yell. Everything is silent before I hear laughter. Dark laughter. We all turn our attention back to Sett.

“You heard the girl. She doesn’t want to be a prize. New deal. I can still die if you win, but I get all the money you earned tonight if I win.” Sett laughs right as he throws a punch. Goliath catches it with a smirk.

“Challenge accepted.” Goliath laughs before he rains blows on Sett. Sett blocks them as best as he could. I lean closer, hoping that Sett would be ok. Sett continues to hold them off. Goliath’s forehead is getting shiny with exertion. Eventually, his arms start to shake. He slows down his attacks before backing away. Sett stands up tall, covered in bruises, but there were no snaps of his bones breaking. My magic helping to reinforce his bones must have helped.

“What was that you said? I get all the money you earned?” Sett laughs darkly in the man’s face. The look in his eyes, it looks like he wants to kill him.  _ No. I can handle him fighting, but not killing. _

“Sett!” I yell. He freezes before sighing. He leans into the man’s ear, whispering something before backing away and slamming his fist into Goliath’s face. Goliath falls. Everyone remains quiet. Sett walks out of the ring before standing in front of the man. The fat ringmaster fumbles when he hands over all the gold, including my fake ones. Sett rips the gold away before coming to me. He’s stopped by the mental barrier I created.

“Leilah, we’re going now.” He tells me softly. I nod and let the magic go. I feel the nausea rush through my body, but I refuse to let myself throw up now. I can’t be weak. Sett’s arm wraps around my shoulders and we walk out. “I’ll be back next week for a fight. Sign me up with someone actually good.” Sett comments lightly as we walk by. He feels my legs get a little bit weaker, so he clutches me a little tighter to him.

“Thank you.” I whisper when we get out of the hole in the ground.

“Sorry ‘bout that, didn’t mean to go that far. What do you mean by ‘not then’?” Sett comments quickly. I flinch.

“I was tortured, kept captive for my eyes. I escaped a few months ago. It’s hard, staying present and not being scared. Tonight was the first night I finally wasn’t afraid.” I explain.

“Huh. Are you sure I can’t ask you on a date?” Sett decides to tease. I laugh softly as we pass by Ahna’s stand. She notices us and runs.

“What happened to you, Settrigh? You look so beaten up and Leilah, you’re exhausted!” She cries. Sett holds her back.

“She just used a bit of magic. You mind cooking up a few bowls? I can pay.” Sett offers, handing her a small bag of gold. She pushes it back.

“On the house, boy. Thanks to Leilah, I got so many customers I got enough gold to feed the entire homeless population for weeks.” She mock complains. I smile.

“What? You helped me. I wanted to return the favor.” I laugh.

“By overflowing me with customers? That’s your idea of helping?’ She teases.

“Well, you got the money you wanted, didn’t you?” I wink.

“See, I was right about you. We need more people like you.” She responds before starting a fire in her fire pit. Sett drops some money onto her counter.

“Consider this as pay for all the times I couldn’t pay you. With interest.” Sett pushes. Ahna sighs and relents.

“You’re a stubborn boy, you are. I remember you a few years ago, the sweetest, most curious child you could ever be. Nice to see that the hard exterior you made can still be cracked.”

“Nah, you got a soft spot. No cracks here.” Sett corrects. Ahna pulls out some food and gives it to the two of us. I smile gratefully at her.

“Thank you, Ahna.”

“Thanks, Ahna.”

“Oh, stop it, the two of ya.” She smacks us lightly with her towel. I give a genuine laugh.

“Leilah!” I barely pick up the familiar cries of Starshadow. “Leilah, where are you!”

“Starshadow?” I ask. 

“Who’s lookin’ for ya?” Sett raises his eyebrow and stands up.

“That’s my brother. Well, he’s not my blood brother, but he’s really as good as.” I explain and stand up. I stumble into Sett’s side.

“Leilah?” His voice sounds a little bit fainter. He’s moving away. I push myself off of Sett and look around for him.

“Starshadow!” I scream with a bit of help from my magic. I’m dead tired now, but I know Starshadow and company would come and find me. I also know that Sett isn’t going to let me get hurt either. If he was, he wouldn’t have helped me out.

“Leilah!” Starshadow chirps happily. “She’s over in that direction!” I hear him yell. I hear Ahna scream. I snap my head around and smile, seeing Shen with Starshadow on his shoulders leaning against Ahna’s stand. “Leilah!”

“Starshadow!” I cry out happily. He leaps onto my arm and rapidly slithers up to hug me.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re ok! Never walk off that far again!” Starshadow scolds me.

“Is that snake talking?” Sett interrupts our reunion. Starshadow glares at him.

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Sett.”

“Well Sett, nice to meet you, now go away.”

“Starshadow!” I scold him.

“What?” Starshadow asks innocently.

“This is your brother?” Sett demands me. I groan and rub my forehead.

“Hell, yeah, I’m her brother and bonded. What’s it to you?” Starshadow snaps.

“I’m gonna be the one to get all her attention, snake.”

“Well, you certainly made a poor show to me.” Starshadow hisses. I bop his nose.

“I am not prepared for this. Sorry Ahna, Shen.” I apologize. Ahna waves her hand away. Shen nods, accepting my apology. “Sett, it was lovely to meet you. I’m afraid that I have to go now.” Sett nods before giving me a hug.

“I’ll find you again, Leilah.” He whispers in my ear. I shiver. It’s not rough, but smooth and sensual.

“OH HELL NO! You dare to lust after her when she already has a boyfriend?” Starshadwo hisses. Sett raises his eyebrows.

“Well, I’ll still prove myself the better partner in the end.” Sett shrugs. I can feel Starshadow buzzing.

“I’ll probably see you later!” I try my best to stay positive. “Oh, I almost forgot!” I quickly hand Starshadow to Shen and grab his arm. The bruises on his arms disappear. I drop, completely exhausted. Shen manages to catch me right before I hit the ground. Sett smiles softly at me before nodding.

“Thanks.”

“No problem!” I wave as Shen takes off with his method of travel. We quickly reappear before Govos and Kusho. Starshadow loans me some energy, shrinking himself down to the size of a worm. I bow my head in shame.

“I’m sorry I ran. I was feeling overwhelmed.”

“Are you feeling better now?” Kusho asks.

“Much.” I nod. 

“Rest tonight. We will continue training tomorrow.” Shen carries me to my bed. I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.

The next morning, Shen hands me a banana. I eat it quickly before going to find Kusho and Govos. They are meditating outside. They hear me approach and stand up.

“How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.” 

“Good. I will be supervising your training today. Govos, if you will.” Kusho calls. Govos nods and makes fists. I sigh before widening my stance. “Yajime!” Govos dashes towards me. I duck out of his first few punches. When I can’t dodge, I use my magic to hold his punch long enough for me to dodge. The quick uses of that magic don’t make me sick instantly, but it is taxing. It doesn’t take too long before Govos swipes his leg and knocks me down. I let myself hit the ground. He moves to punch me. I dodge and shove him off of me. We both quickly get back on our feet. Govos swipes low. I jump quickly and will myself to not hit the ground. I feel pressure against my feet and I’m hovering just above Govos’ knees. He swipes again. I roll onto a higher surface. This magic is insanely tiring, but I want to train. Interestingly enough, it does not make me sick. Eventually, I dodge enough that I’m high above him, but my vision is blacking. My control over the shadows drops, and I yelp as I fall. Govos is there to catch me.

“When did you learn how to hold people?” Starshadow remarks immediately when he senses that the fight is over. Govos helps me onto my feet.

“When Sett took me to an underground pit fight?” I offer. Starshadow immediately grows in size, furious. Govos is struggling to hold onto my arm as I sag.

“If I see that kid again, I’m going to kill him.” He growls.

“Star...Shadow… bit… much!” I squeak. He immediately shrinks in size, but his scales are raised.

“I cannot believe the nerve of that kid. While you're also dealing with Bilgewater?” He snarls.

“Oh, I’m over Bilgewater.” I comment lightly. Everyone’s eyes widen considerably. “There was an incident in the pit fight, I was being held. I just… I got tired of being afraid of being captured. That was the last straw and I kinda forced them to stay away. After Sett won his fight, he took care of me.”

“Ok, so one redeeming quality, but I’m still not pleased with him.” Starshadow snaps. 

“Seriously? Taking you to a pit fight would have helped you considerably?” Govos complains. Kusho smacks his head.

“She needed time to heal before she could decide that she was done being afraid. We gave her a safe space to heal. There is no need to be so bitter.” Kusho scolds.

“Sorry Master.” Govos apologizes. I feel like there’s something else bothering him, but he doesn’t want attention on himself quite yet.

“So, was there anything you learned from the murder?” I ask. His death flashes before my eyes, but I’m not scared or sad right now. I’m determined to take the murderer to jail.

“The man there was methodical. He scored the ground before bringing his victim in. The victim is not from Navori. No one knows the man. We asked everyone. The cuts were clean and just as methodical as the other victims. It’s just odd that it’s in a very secluded spot.” Kusho states.

“Maybe it’s not supposed to be seen yet. Maybe it’s practice.” I think out loud. Everyone looks at me. I glow. “Well, everything he’s done, he wants it to be seen. Why not this one? Maybe because he is trying something new?” I ask. Kusho nods.

“It’s not a bad theory. This one was very basic, the only difference being the scoring under the body.” Shen agrees.

“Then he’s practicing for something. Something big. He’s going to want it to be seen, bright and clear as day. And he’s going to want attention. What else is connected to the crimes?” I ask.

“If you remove this latest attack, most of the people we have are famous artists or skilled musicians.” Govos adds. 

“Why did you mention that earlier?” I grumble.

“Well, you were recovering. It’s been 6 months, Leilah. We didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“Wait, six months?” I whisper. “That’s… That’s such a long time.” I feel a little feint.

_ Leilah? _

_ I haven’t seen my family in over sixteen months, Starshadow. Do they miss me? _

_ Of course they do. But they know that you are special. I told your mother that. And she is happy to know that you are safe with me. _

“Leilah?” Shen asks, bringing me back to the real world. I shake off my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, it’s just I was thinking about my family. I haven’t seen them in a long time. I miss them.” Shen and Govos nod, knowing my pain. I wipe my tears away. “So, what else do we know?”

“That’s really about it. We don’t have much more to go off of.” Kusho tells me.

“Ok, so he goes after famous people. Why don’t we lay a trap for him then?” I offer. The men look at me in surprise.

“What are you thinking?” Govos asks warily.

“We can be famous artists and musicians. I can pose as an up and coming aspiring magician and-”

“We are not risking you.” Starshadow interrupts.

“Why not? I have the most easily identifiable traits among us. Besides, Shen, Govos, and Kusho all have more reliable skills than mine. It would be better for three people to be on lookout.”

“I agree that it would be better to tempt the killer to try and catch one of us, but I should be bait. You will remain out of the operation.” Kusho states. Govos and Shen look ready to protest, but they remain quiet.

“Didn’t you try to not include me in a murder before? I’m not staying behind. If I can do something, I will.” I snap, crossing my arms.

“Leilah, be reasonable.” Starshadow pleads.

“No, I want to help. I can, and I will find a way to, so either you agree and let me help, or I can go look for him on my own.” 

“But Bilgewater-”

“Will not hold me back. Not anymore.” I snap. Everyone is quiet for a moment before Kusho sighs.

“Very well. We will both be bait. I’d rather you be in the public’s eye if the demon notices you. And I can be in plain view and protect you.”

“Master/Father…” Shen and Govos try to change his mind. Starshadow shakes his head.

“It’s honestly the best offer. She’s stubborn enough to do her own thing anyway. Better include her. I think I’d be best with Shen or Govos. As Leilah and I are bonded, if I’m with her and caught and she’s not in plain view of everyone, she’s dead. I won’t be able to guide anyone to her in the end.”

“Go with Shen. He’s calmer and quicker to get our attention.” Govos states.

“So, we have a plan. Now, how do we get his attention?” I ask.

“Oh that’s easy. We go around Ionia and claim that there’s a new magician that can walk on air.” Shen states.

“That would work if I could do that reliably.” I protest.

“We have six months. There’s a group of calligraphers that is planning on presenting their skills in Jyom Pass at the spirit festival. From what I know, the best calligraphers will be there, so more than likely our demon will be there too.” Kusho states.

“Even better, a magician with beautiful and unique eyes? That is bound to get his attention!” Govos adds. “For once, we may finally be ahead of him.”

“Well, two problems with that.” I interrupt. “One, I can’t walk on air accurately yet, and two, what if he isn’t interested?”

“You’ll practice, and it’s not just you, it’s the combination of writers, artists, and you that should draw him to Jyom Pass. We have six months to get it right. Govos, Shen, can you spread the word of a young, beautiful magician that will be joining the artists in Jyom Pass?” Kusho instructs.

“Yes Master/Father.” Govos and Shen bow. “When do you want us to start?”

“As soon as possible. Leilah, you will need to train that shadow magic you use. Can you replicate it?” Kusho demands.

“I think I can.”

“I’ll train with her. My size is a good indication when she gets too tired.” Starshadow adds. Kusho nods.

“Well, we have a plan now. By the Spirit festival, the Golden Demon will be caught. I will send out word to officials that we will be unavailable for investigation for the next six months.” Kusho walks away.

“I can’t believe it. Almost four years of hunting this monster and we’re going to get him!” Govos cheers.

“We’ll get to go home. I wonder how Akali is doing?” Shen mentions.

“Why? You like her?” Govos teases.

“It’s not like that. She’s expected to be the next Fist of Shadow. You would do better to get to know her since you’re going to be the next Eye of Twilight.”

“Is he really?” I ask.

“Yeah. After this quest, he’s going to earn a new name. A sort of initiation to the Kinkou order symbolizing that he has truly earned his place.” Shen boasts. “He’s earned it for sure.”

“What about you?” I ask.  
“I was born to the Master. I kinda didn’t have much choice in joining. The only way we got Govos to join was through me throwing a sparring match between the two of us.”

“You threw that???” Govos asks. He tackles his friend and they wrestle for a bit. I just smile at their playfulness. They look to much lighter that when I knew them. It takes a moment before Govos pins Shen down. “Did you throw that one too?” He pants, teasing Shen.

“Get off me. You’re getting heavy.” Shen laughs. Govos rolls off Shen and lies down in the grass. We just enjoy the silence for a moment before Starshadow slaps his tail against his belly, making a slapping noise.

“Alright, you had your moment to relax and celebrate. Time to work!” Starshadow smirks. “Let’s go, Leilah!” I smile at my snake before standing up and taking a step into the air. I’m immediately panting with exertion, but I’m still standing.

_ This is going to be long. I hope I’m ready in time. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Settrigh, a man with a fondness for mama and a greed for gold. Such humble origins. I know I said this before, but I want to say thank you to every for reading this far. You guys are the best. I hope you guys are having a great day and stay extraordinary!


	28. The End of One Adventure, the Start of Something New

“Miss, could you help lift that banner up?” One of the people running the Spirit Festival asks me. I smile sweetly and step up, exercising a little magic as I pick up the banner and walk up with my shadow steps. I’m a few feet above people’s heads as I help fix the banner.

“Up here?” I ask.  _ Golden Demon, Kusho, I hope you guys are watching. _

“A little lower, please.” The man calls. I nod and lower it a bit. “That’s perfect! Can you fasten it right there?”

“Could you throw me the fastener?” I ask. He turns to one of the other workers and throws the fastener. It’s too low for me to catch and falls right back to the ground.

“Sorry!” The man yells when he picks up the fastener again. “My arm isn’t what it used to be!” 

“Try again!” I encourage him. He looks wary but does as I ask. This time, I add a bit of my magic to give him that little extra strength he needed. The fastener lands right in my hand. The man below looks surprised that he managed to throw it to me as I fix the banner onto the fastener. Everyone starts to clap and cheer as the banner is proudly shown above everyone’s head to celebrate the festival. I smile before I feel my magic drain quickly. Helping that man was more than what I could handle.  _ And to think, I’ve been training for six months to be able to shadow step without problems. Should have added manipulating people’s bodies to the mix _ . I try to walk down as fast as I could, but I feel my magic give out before I’m a safe distance to fall from. I yelp as my magic step disappears. Everyone else gasps and cries out as I fall.

“Choryon!” A voice yells. I feel the wind slow down my fall before I land in someone’s arms. “Did you see that? I used one of the techniques Master Souma taught me right this time!” The voice yells again. My eyes widen and I look up to see a familiar face.

“Interesting meeting you here, Leilah.” Yone comments with a smirk. He’s grown more, with a clear goatee on his chin. I blush fiercely before scrambling out his hold and hugging him.

“Yone!” I cry out joyously. “What are you doing here?”

“ Master Souma took him as his pupil and has been teaching him wind techniques. When you sent your last letter, you told us that you were heading to Jyom Pass, to celebrate the Spirit blossoms. Yasuo has been beyond eager to see you again. He wanted to show you his skills. I think this is the first time he’s performed that technique on his own without Master Souma watching him. He wanted to demonstrate with you watching, but at least this way you know for sure that he’s mastering it.” Yone rambles a bit. I just keep hugging him.

“DON’T YOU EVER DO SOMETHING SO RECKLESS AGAIN!” Yone and I break apart at hearing Starshadow’s angry voice. “You’re lucky you’ve gotten better at controlling your magic enough to go that high, but falling was not necessary to the plan!” He snaps. Yone raises an eyebrow.

“A plan?” I shoot Starshadow a glare.

“Thanks, Starshadow. You remember Yone, right?” I ask pointedly to my snake. I see him take a second look.

“Yone?” He asks. Yone nods. Starshadow lets out a happy laugh before bolting to slither up his body. “I am so glad to see you! Is Yasuo here?”

“Of course. What plan though?” Yone responds. Starshadow gives a small flinch.

“Um, the plan… to make this an amazing festival of course!” Starshadow tries. Yone looks at both of us, not believing a single thing.

“Yone! Yone, did you see me catch that person!” Yasuo shoves his way into our conversation. I look over at him and gasp. I’ve only been gone a little over a year, but he’s already taller than me. He’s shot up faster than a weed!

“Yasuo!” I give him a big hug too. He’s about to shove me off when he recognizes my hair and eyes.

“Leilah? Is that really you?” Yasuo asks me excitedly. I nod against his neck. He pulls me into an even tighter hug. I pull away and look at him impressed.

“Look at you! Wow, you have a sword now! That’s amazing, Yasuo! After only a short time too?” I gush.  _ Please don’t go back to our plan. _

“Well, Master Souma approached me about a month after you were gone. I didn’t want to, but Yone convinced me to learn. I try to be the best pupil he’s ever had. I guess that’s why he let me come to the festival with Yone.” Yasuo chats excitedly before he pales. “Wait, were you the person I caught with that wind wall?”

“Uh, yeah. I was exercising my magic and I thought I could help the town out. They are really grateful I did.” I wave to the man that I helped. He looks relieved that I’m ok and he leaves for other preparations.

“Would you also happen to be the aspiring, beautiful magician that’s been spreading around the town?” Yone asks me with a knowing smirk.

“Uh, yeah. That’d be me.” I glow a bit.

“Interesting. I’m curious as to why you are here. Shouldn’t you be where people need you the most?” Yone points out. I freeze.

“Uh, about that… Can we talk about that after the festival starts?” I ask. I look around to see everyone happily putting up decorations. “I’d hate to bring down the mood from just my presence, you know?” I joke. Yone does not look fooled.

“What are you hiding?” Yone demands. I sigh and look at Starshadow.

_ What do I do? I don’t know what I can tell him.  _ I ask him.

_ Tell him that you suffered a bit from before you came to the festival and you’d really rather just enjoy it?  _ Starshadow suggests.

“I… I needed a break, Yone.” I confess. Yone still does not look convinced. “I… I ended up in Bilgewater.” I open up a bit, feeling tears prick my eyes. Yone’s no longer disbelieving. He’s horrified.

“How did you get back to Ionia?” He asks.

“Starshadow. He forced a teleport. So, we came here.” I fib a little bit. He doesn’t need to know that I’m posing as bait for the Golden Demon.

“Oh, Leilah.” He reaches out to give me a hug. I sink into his embrace, happy to be hugged.

“So, are you going to kiss now?” Yasuo smarts. I glow brightly while Yone jerks.

“Yasuo!” We both yelp.

“What? You’ve been looking to the horizon every morning to see if she’d come back! You can’t deny that!”

“You are being inappropriate.” Yone scolds his brother firmly. 

“Hey, I’m going to go get some air. That fall kinda made me feel a bit of a rush.” I say out of the blue.  _ Need to find the Kinkou Order. _ Yone and Yasuo look at me.

“Let us come with you.” Yone instantly offers.

“I’ll only be gone a moment. Starshadow could enjoy catching up with you.”

_ I’m supposed to be with Shen now. _

_ They’ll get suspicious if neither of us don’t stick around. _

_ You asked for it.  _ “Definitely. There’s a lot to catch you guys up on.” Starshadow slinks over to Yone’s arm. After an encouraging nod from me, they go off to a corner to talk. I walk calmly out of the festival and wait for Kusho to appear.

“I know we said put yourself in the most obvious position for someone to see you, but you didn’t need to fall.” Right on cue, the Kinkou Order appears before me. “If that kid hadn’t used his sword, I would have had to reveal myself just to keep you alive. What were you thinking?” Govos scolds.

“I was thinking that after months of using my magic like a platform, I could do a small task. I didn’t realize that I would have to help a man throw an object!” I snap quietly. “Besides, you didn’t blow your cover. We’re fine.”

“She is right. For now, Leilah, would you mind walking with an old man?” Kusho steps forward. This is the first time I’ve seen him without something on his head. The man’s hair is white. He still looks plenty strong, but not enough to look like an old man.

“You, sir, are not old.” I comment before offering my arm.

“Perhaps not, but I can act like it.” He hunches over. Now he looks old.

“Well, at least this makes it easier for him to keep an eye on you.” Govos comments.

“We’ve got a bit of a complication, unfortunately. Some of my friends are here, the ones from the sword monastery.”

“Yasuo and Yone? Your friend and boyfriend?” Govos asks.

“He’s not my boyfriend! We never even kissed each other!” I protest.

“I dunno. He really wanted to from your stories.” Govos teases me.

“Focus.” I huff. “How do we keep them from being too suspicious of Kusho?”

“What do you mean? I’m an old man.” Kusho now sounds old.

“I don’t know how you do that, sir.” I comment. “Let’s get this show started.” I walk slowly with Kusho to help make him a more believable old man. We head back into the festival preparations. A strange man comes up in front of me.

“Your magic is amazing. Tell me, would you be open to performing in front of everyone? I can make you into a star!” He rambles. I pull away a little bit.

“I’m sorry sir, who are you?” I ask politely.

“Khada Jhin, my dear.”

“Could you help us first? My grandfather got a bit lost. He was invited to be among some of hte best artists imaginable. He’s a skilled calligrapher, but since he had a family and prioritized them, he never got to go out much.” I act. I pretend to pull out a sheet of paper with beautiful calligraphy. I could feel Kusho tense and prepare to support me from this little magic. I’m grateful he did, because this really exhausted me. Without his support, I’m sure I would be staggering around. Jhin studies it closely.

“This is marvelous! I must bring him to the other artists. Such talent can not be kept hidden!” Jhin declares. I feel a little sweat drip on my back.

“Might I have that back please? I took it with me to show anyone who would ask, but it’s calligraphy he did for my grandmother. Grandfather does not exactly like that I took it.” Kusho plays his part well, looking both cross and worried at the same time. Jhin nods and gives it back, though there’s quite a bit of hesitation before I can vanish it into the air behind my back. He spotted my eyes.

“Your eyes. Why are they different colors?” He asks me. I gulp.

“I was born with a defect in my eyes. If you don’t mind, Grandfather should be going over to the other writers?” I prompt Jhin.

“But of course! Yes, yes, please!” Jhin leads the way. I can feel Kusho holding me up as we follow him.

“Great thinking, but are you alright, Leilah?” Kusho mumbles just loud enough for me to hear him.

“I’ll be alright when I’m away from him.” I whisper back. Something about him is a little… off. Khada guides us to a tent. When he pulls back the covers, there’s many writers there, all of them creating beautiful art.

“Gentlemen!” He cries. All the writers turn to him. “Might I introduce a budding talent to your group?” He takes my support away. I lean against the doorway, forcing myself to use more magic to make myself look like I’m smiling. It convinces everyone.

“Welcome, fellow artist. Might I see your skill in person?” One of the writers asks. Kusho agrees and begins to create beautiful swooping art. Jhin walks to the doorway. I keep the illusion of what my face should look like as I force myself to stand.

“Your eyes are beautiful. Tell me, what would it take for you to become one of my stars?” Jhin offers. I shyly turn away from him.  _ The Golden Demon likes art. I’m practically a walking art work. Let’s see if we can tempt him into acting. _

“Well, my grandfather does seem happy…” I lead him.  _ Come on... _

“Excellent! If you would come this way for me to help you get a costume, I would greatly appreciate it.” Jhin places his hand on my back. He practically hauls me away. I almost drop my illusion at how aggressive Jhin has become. “Are you alright? You are sweating quite a bit.” Jhin asks. I force myself to take an inaudible breath.

“I’m sorry, I was just incredibly worried for my grandfather. His health is ailing after all.” I reply as firmly as I can. Jhin walks me through the center of town. I see Yone and Yasuo stare at me as we walk. I notice Starshadow is with them.

_ The plan’s started. Who’s watching me again? _

_ Shen will be able to keep you safe.  _ Starshadow replies. I see Yone’s eyes focus on something else in the distance. I glance over my shoulder where Yone’s looking and grimace behind my illusion. Yone spotted Shen. Something’s not going to go right.

_ No, no, no. Yone’s spotted Shen. We’ve already set the bait up. You have to keep Yone and Yasuo from interfering!  _ I yell in my head.

_ Way ahead of you.  _ The last I see of the trio is Starshadow getting Yone’s attention and keeping both boys focused on him. Neither of them have a smile on their face. I allow Jhin to keep leading me away from everyone, trying to make some small talk enough for him to be satisfied.

“What do you think of the festival?” He asks me. His tone is both heavy and light at the same time.

“Well, I think it’s a beautiful way to honor the spirits of those gone.” I confess.

“I see. Besides your eyes and hair, you are just ordinary.” He comments weirdly. I act like I’m not paying attention to that at all.

“Well, yes. I’m pleased you recognize that. I’ve been pursued by many, thinking that my eyes and hair is valuable. I’m glad you see that I’m just ordinary. It’s nice to finally hear that.”

“I can make you extraordinary.” Jhin declares.

“I’m sorry?” I ask, backing away a little bit.

“I said I could make you extraordinary.” He stalks around me. There’s a wildness in his eyes. It’s almost predatory. “All those artists, I would have used one of them for my masterpiece, but once I saw you, being lifted into the sky, I knew. I knew you would complete my masterpiece. You inspire me. You would be perfection!” Jhin starts to sound a little bit crazier with each sentence.

“You’re scaring me.” I make my voice shake with magic. In reality I’m focusing on gathering what little reserves I have left and getting ready to stop him.  _ I’m not helpless. _

“Yes, that fear!” Jhin starts to laugh. I start shivering for real. “Keep that fear!” He rushes towards me and grabs me by my chin before I can react. “That fear in your eyes, oh it would be beautiful! My masterpiece!” He walks away for a moment, celebrating. I just get ready for his attack.

“Tell me, what’s your name?” He asks. I freeze.

“Why does my name matter?” I question him.

“You should feel honoured. You're my masterpiece. I thought you deserve to have your name in the artwork I will display.” Jhin turns around and stalks towards me. I try to leave, but he’s cut off my escape. “Come. Allow the fear to sink in.” He pulls out a knife and spins it like an expert. The knife triggers my memories, reminding me of the knife creeping towards my face. I flinch and try to back away, feeling my face pale quickly. “Yes, Yes, YES! Let me see your fear in your last moments! Let me feel it!” He starts to happily scream. I trip and fall onto the ground. I keep moving away from him. He keeps walking slowly, as if assessing when the right time for me to die would be. I open my mouth to scream. Jhin leaps onto me.

“None of that now, child. I would hate to see you fade before you can flourish.” He stabs into my throat. I can’t scream out the agony I’m in. I can barely focus on the fact that I’m in Ionia instead of Bilgewater. He severed my vocal chords. Even knowing that I would probably grow them back, it’s torture all over again. I writhe under Jhin, glancing at him every now and then through my tears. “Yes! Yes! You are almost perfect! Now, a final touch.” Jhin moves to stab me in the stomach when Shen leaps out of nowhere. Govos and Kusho both step into the area altogether. Govos tackles the man and forces him to the ground. He starts to punch the guy over and over again. I pull out the knife in my throat, shivering the entire time, struggling to not be overwhelmed by the pain. Shen comes over to offer comfort while Kusho catches up to Govos. He hauls Govos off of Jhin. We all look at the man that would have killed me, but now looks like a weak frail boy.

“This? This is the Golden Demon? A weakling of a man.” Govos scoffs. I nod. I cast an illusion with sound, repeating everything that Jhin had been telling me. Jhin stares at it in wonder, forgetting his fear.

“Wonderful!” he states. Govos punches him out before pulling out some large knives. I magically hold his hand back long enough for Kusho to take over.

“Let me kill him! He was going to kill Leilah! He’s a monster!” Govos screams.

“He may be a monster, but our duty is to defeat demons. He is not a demon, and not part of our jurisdiction. He will go to the humans to be dealt with.” Kusho proclaims. I shakily get to my feet. Shen helps me stand. Everyone is looking rather tense and uneasy.

“Yes, Father.” Shen acquiesce.

“Yes… Master.” Govos follows after a lengthy pause. I look at him in concern and put my hand on his shoulder. He shrugs it off before giving me a smile. “You did great out there.” I shake my head no. I couldn’t stop him from hurting me.

“You did well, Leilah.” Kusho adds in. “You managed to remain calm and conscious in the face of that monster. You did someone very few could. And good news is that your wound was only shallow enough to cut your vocal chords. It’s already in the process of healing. It’s not bleeding anymore.” Kusho explains. I shrug my shoulders then make an illusion of Yone and Yasuo. “Yes. Perhaps this is where we part ways. I am glad to have known you, Leilah.” The men all disappear into the shadows, taking Jhin with them. I’m left alone. I sigh and turn back towards the festival. I spot Starshadow keeping Yone and Yasuo company. Both of them are looking extremely tense. Yone practically looks ready to pull out his sword and start a fight. I catch Starshadow’s eye.

“WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE CELESTIALS HAPPENED TO YOU!” He screams before dashing over to me. I kneel and hold out my arm for him so he wouldn’t have to slither too much. Yone and Yasuo both see what has caught Starshadow’s attention. Both dash over to me as well.

“How did you get an injury on your neck?” Yone demands. I bite my lip and look to Starshadow.

“Um, you remember when I said the plan, Yone?” Starshadow reminds him. Yone nods. “Well, she was part of the plan to capture the Golden Demon. My guess is that they succeeded?” Starshadow asks me. I nod. “And you just had to get a few scrapes in while you were at it?” I shrug before nodding sheepishly.

“Why can’t she speak?” Yasuo asks, terrified.

“Because the Golden Demon stabbed her in the throat to stop her cries for help.” Yone guesses. He looks so sad to see my injury. “Now I won’t get to hear your voice again.”

I shake my head and gesture wildly to my healing throat. Yone looks at me, clearly trying to understand what I’m trying to say, but can’t quite make it..

“You remember how Bilgewater pirates were harvesting her eyes?” Starshadow comments. I sharply glare at him. “What? It was either Bilgewater or telling them the plan. Bilgewater was the better way to keep them from interfering.” Starshadow has no regrets. I don’t stop glaring at him.

“I thought you said those were illusions?” Yasuo sounds so scared.

“Not all of them were. It took too long for me to think about using our magic. She forgot about our magic and frankly, so did I. Neither of us thought about using her magic until I was just too tired of hearing her scream and remembered.” Starshadow explains. I fidget under their scrutiny. “Since that healed and even regrew, we think her voice should come back eventually. The wound’s already gone with no sign of it ever existing.” I glance over at Starshadow, confused as to how he knows. “I can sense you remember? I’m your bonded.”

“Are you willing to bet her voice on your guess?” Yone demands. Starshadow rears up.

“I actually am. She’s tougher than she was before. Yeah, she’s still vulnerable, but she’s not going to let that stop her. She didn’t let her magic get the best of her when she helped Yasuo almost two years ago. She’s not going to stop now.” Starshadow defends me. I stare down at the ground. Yone sighs and lifts my chin. I don’t even get a warning before his soft lips are on mine. Yasuo whoops behind Yone and Starshadow’s cackling in my head, but I ignore them all in favor of the fireworks lighting up behind my eyes. Our kiss doesn’t last long enough for my taste when Yone pulls away.

“I’m sorry, it’s just, you’ve grown into someone absolutely beautiful, inside and out. You’ve become better than I could have imagined and I couldn’t stop myself when I saw you bow your head. You should never bow your head for being a wonderful person.” Yone explains himself. I just rise to my toes and kiss him again.

Real explosions happen. I yelp and bury myself into his arms.

“They’re just fireworks, Leilah. Look.” Yone coaxes. I peer out and gasp at all the bright lights exploding in the sky. I almost leave Yone’s embrace when he holds my hand. Yasuo snuggles up next to me with Starshadow slithering up my body and just watching. Yone rests his head on mine. I relax for a bit before frowning.

_ I love being with him, but I will be gone from his life for a long time. i'll even live past his. Is it worth having a relationship with Yone? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallelujah, Yone finally admits his feelings! Yone Leilah for the win! At least for now. Now, before any of you complain that it's too fast, it has been well over a year for the two of them. Yone has truly been pining for her, but also trying to convince himself that she will just be a passing fancy. Hearing that she refused to stop helping, that she would put herself in the middle of a fight to save people, he knew that she wasn't a passing fancy and was overwhelmed by emotion that he rarely lets himself feel. I wish I could say that in this chapter, but as it is from Leilah's point of view, he never explains it properly to her. I just explain it here at the bottom.
> 
> Anyway, would love a review how you feel about Yone and Leilah? I hope you guys have an extraordinary day during Covid! Stay safe!


	29. Spirit Festival

“Come on, Leilah! The festival’s beginning!” Yasuo wakes me up loudly. I can’t make a noise, throwing my arm over my face and burying myself into the very comfy bed. The day after, and my voice still hasn’t come back. “Yone’s waiting for you!” 

“Yasuo, as happy as we are to see you here, we need rest.” Starshadow grumbles from nearby my head.

“The sun has risen! It’s time to wake up!” Yasuo actually jumps on the bed. I curl away from him, wishing that Yasuo would calm himself down.

“Calm yourself, Yasuo. Did she sleep well?” Yone interrupts.

“Meh. She had a few hiccups in the night. Nothing she couldn’t recover from.” Starshadow informs them. I throw Starshadow a glare before trying to bury my head under the pillow.

_ Starshadow, I swear to the Celestials, I will end you if you keep talking.  _ I threaten.

“And now she’s telling me death threats. So, what I’m saying is absolutely true.” Starshadow finishes. I roll my eyes and cuddle deeper into my blankets. It’s been too long.

“Can you see what she dreams?” Yone asks.

“No, I won’t invade her privacy like that, but all bets are off in reality. Last night, I woke up to her thrashing about. She bolted up clutching her throat and shying away. I wish Kusho was here, he could help.” Starshadow sighs.

“Kusho?” Yasuo asks. Yone tenses at the doorway.

“Master Kusho of the Kinkou Order. They’ve been hunting the Golden Demon. They’re basically ninjas. One of them got in the way of our travel and caught us. They took care of both of us for months. We said goodbye to them last night.” Starshadow explains. I feel Starshadow smirk. “Two of them were boys a little bit older. One of them, Shen, took exceptional care of her. He helped bring her out of her self-made shell.”

“Is he anything else to her?” Yone’s jealous tone fills the room.

“Not that I know of, but there was another that made a pass at her.”

_ Don’t tease him!  _ I bolt upright and attempt to catch the snake. Starshadow snickers as he disappears under the bed. I wish I could make a noise of frustration. Yasuo yelps as my sudden movement causes me to crash into him.

“And she’s up!” Starshadow laughs. I glare at him. “Now, go spend time with Yone. Enjoy the festival. Nothing is super urgent for us to do anything. Go and be normal, as you so often claim you are!”

_ I will find a way to destroy you if I must. _

_ You’re so egotistical if you think you can.  _ Starshadow replies in my head. 

“I hate you.” I cough harshly. Seems like my voice is coming back, but it still needs time to heal.

“Your voice! It’s back!” Yasuo cheers while I struggle to breath. Yone is quick to come to my side and rub my back. The coughing eventually calms down and I take a large breath.

“It’s coming back, it hasn’t fully healed. She still needs time.” Yone lightly scolds his brother.

“Yeah, but it’s better than last night! I mean, she came back with a closing hole in her throat!” Yasuo protests and points his finger at Yone. “And you kissed her!” 

“Yasuo…” Yone sounds a little tense. I wave my hands. My stomach turns a little bit.

“Can we please not start anything? I haven’t been to an Ionian festival before.” My voice echoes in their ears. Both Yone and Yasuo look impressed that I have the skill to do that, even if my back is covered in sweat from the effort. I blink, surprised with myself. I didn’t think I would be able to do that. Then again, I didn’t think I would lose my voice, so… yeah.

“Ionian festivals are the best! Besides, I’m sure that many people would want to thank you for your efforts to help with setting it up.” Yasuo coaxes. I shoo him away. Yasuo laughs and grabs Starshadow.

“Where do you think you’re taking me?” Starshadow demands.

“Well, I’m taking you outside. I heard there’s more steamed buns somewhe-”

“Take me there!” Starshadow demands and coils himself around Yasuo’s left shoulder. The two leave, bickering on which Ionian dessert is the best. I look at Yone and just laugh noiselessly. He joins in. We laugh until we can’t anymore. Yone leans on me while we catch our breaths. I feel myself glow a bit.

“How are you really, Leilah?” Yone asks. I freeze and turn my head away. He grabs my chin and guides me back to face him. “I know about Bilgewater from Starshadow’s view. I want to know yours. What happened to you? Starshadow was telling us what he heard. From when you were first captured to when you escaped.” I shake my head, not wanting to burden him. “Please Leilah. Even after a year, I want to be your companion on your journey. Would you tell me?”

Normally, I would have never shown him. He’s so sweet and kind and never faced such horror, but I also know that Yone can’t go on my adventures thinking that everything is beautiful, if he still wants to. I sigh and wave my hand, casting illusions to show my point of view. Yone, once he realizes what I am showing him, wraps his arms around me. It comforts me to relive the worst days of my life. He watches as I save that little red-haired girl and pass out, to meeting the demon, searching for Starshadow, and having my eye get popped. Seeing my eye get punctured has Yone checking my face. I glow a little bit brighter at the attention he gives me. He breathes a sigh of relief before turning his attention back to the illusions. He actually pales and looks away when he sees my capture and the beginning of my torture.

“No more. No more Leilah.” He whispers to me. I look at him bewildered.

“I thought-”

“I wanted to see, but I don’t know how I can handle seeing you in pain like this.” Yone explains. I finally notice that he’s trembling and near tears over just the first night. I hold him close.

“You need to see this until the end. Then you can decide if you still wish to journey with me.” I croak. Yone nods before glancing at the illusion. I finish showing him everything, from my eyes being cut out to Starshadow’s genius illusions. He clutches me harder as he sees my body get worse, thinning and getting sick. He grips me so tightly when Starshadow escapes and we teleport out of that hell. I even show him what I remember from when I died. I show him my adventures in Navori. He narrows his eyes at the red-head boy, but he stays quiet. I show him all the training I did, and what happened when we caught the Golden Demon. It took less than fifteen minutes, but we both know that the weight of the world was placed on his shoulders. He pulls away from me and paces in front of the bed.

“This is what can happen?” Yone gestures to where I casted my magic.

“Sorta. From what I can tell, this isn’t going to be the worst.” I start to cough. It feels a little bit better, but it’s still hard to speak.

“I can come with you. On your next teleport, I can-.” Yone starts. I cover his mouth as quickly as I can.

“No. I’m traveling all the time! You belong in the monastery! That’s your duty.” I cough, but keep going. “You’re needed there. You won’t be able to protect me all the time, so I may get stranded! Not to mention you’re mortal! You’ll die someday, I may never. I’ll have to watch you die someday. I’d rather not make it sooner.”

“But-” Yone protests against my hand.

“I don’t want you to come, Yone.” I force myself to say. Tears are streaming down my face as I lie. I never realized how much I wanted Yone in my life until that moment, when Yone is prepared to sacrifice his own dreams for me, and here I am saying no. I want him by my side, but I want him safe. Even after a year, I still have such strong feelings for him. I guess that’s what many people say about their first love. “I have to see people at their worse. I have to be there to offer help. And I won’t always succeed. You can’t save me from that. And I can’t make you leave the temple.” I explain. Starshadow bursts into the room.

“What is tak-” He freezes when he sees both of us with tears streaming down my face. Yone’s is made of stone. “I’ll go start the festival with Yasuo, ok?” He backs out just as quickly. Yone’s clutching my hand tightly.

“Promise me this.” Yone whispers. I look up at him. “Promise me that when I have finished training, I can come with you.” He pleads.

“But Yasuo needs you. He looks up to you.” I argue.

“He cares about you too. He’s asked me everyday when you would be coming back. When I asked why, he said it was because you could put a smile on my face that no one else could, and Yasuo wants that for me. I even asked him if I could leave him on his own. He told me as long as I was with you, he’d know that I’m happy and he’s ok with it.” Yone protests. I look away.

“I’m a stranger to you, remember?” I speak harshly. Yone pulls away, confused. “You met me a little over a year and a half ago. I’ve been gone for most of them. You think you can care about someone in a little over seven months?” I spit out. I’m crying inside because I know that yes, I can care about someone in that short amount of time. I care about Yasuo, about Starshadow, even Yone.

“Don’t lie, Leilah.” Yone calls me out. I flinch. “You care about us. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed. You care. Is it impossible for me to care about you in that same amount of time?”

“Can we talk about this later? I need time to think.” I give in a little bit. Yone nods.

“Very well. We will talk about it later.” Yone accepts. He pulls me up with him. “Do you need a moment to-” I cast an illusion on my face that clears up my tears. “How long can you hold that?” He asks.

“Illusions don’t usually make me feel sick, so probably until my eyes are no longer puffy.” I shrug. 

“Let’s go find them then.” He holds my hand tightly as we walk outside. My eyes widen in amazement as I see how many people are in the festival. There’s a few odd people with different clothes, but overall, there’s children playing and people talking happily. “Where do you think they went?”

“Probably to all the food.” I laugh. Yone smiles and walks down to where the most wonderful smells are. As we walk, some people recognize me as the girl that helped them with the banner. They come and thank me while also giving little gifts. I smile at every single one of them.

“Miss?” A child calls. I turn around and see a little girl standing behind me. I get on my knees to be around her height.

“Hello there. What’s your name?”

“Ava.” The girl stands still and shifts her feet shyly. She looks over her shoulder to see a woman gesturing her hand to her.

“Is there something you’d like to say to me?” I coax. The little girl glances up at me and thrusts out a little crown of pink flowers.

“Thank you for your help setting up the festival last night. And your magic show! It was fun to see. My mama said that we have to thank people for their good deeds, so… thank you.” The girl still doesn’t look at me. I smile and take her gift from her and set it on my head.

“How does it look?” I ask her. She looks up with a frown.

“It’s crooked.” She pouts. She reaches up and sets it straight. Before I can pull away, she tugs some of my hair through the band and braids it. I stay still, letting her play with my hair. A few minutes later, she pulls away. With a small nod of her head, she pulls away. I reach up and touch my hair. Most of it is still free. Some are looped around my new flower crown. It reaches to the back and ends in a braid tied into a knot. “Much better.”

“Thank you, Ava.”

“Now you look amazing! Are you a princess?” She asks sweetly.

“She certainly is.” Yone stands behind me. Ava looks up with curious eyes. I glow a little bit.

“Yone.” I protest under my breath. Ava bounces up and down happily.

“I helped a princess!” She crows. She runs back to her mother before I can stop her. I playfully glare at Yone. He keeps an innocent look on his face.

“What? I was just saying the truth.” Yone smiles lightly. I roll my eyes. I open my mouth to argue.

“ATTENTION!” Someone yells in the middle of the crowd. Everyone looks up to the man on a horse standing in front of us. “The Golden Demon has been taken care of! There will be no more attacks from the Golden Demon!” The people all cheer happily and the entire atmosphere seems a little bit brighter. For the first time since Bilgewater, I feel truly relaxed. There’s nothing hanging over me and I feel safe with Yone being by my side. Yone notices and scopes me into a hug.

“Well done, Leilah.” He whispers in my ear. I grin and just enjoy the moment. Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. Yone and I walk down to the food stands and spot Yasuo and Starshadow eating some buns.

“The red bean paste is the best!” Starshadow argues.

“No way! Sesame. It’s sweet, it’s wonderful! Red bean paste feels weird.” Yasuo argues.

“Oh yes. The gritty feeling of sesame is better?” Starshadow asks sarcastically as he bites his bun. Yone and I just walk over to the two of them and listen, amused at their bickering. “The red bean paste is so smooth on the mouth.”

“Perhaps you should try the vegetable one?” Yone suggests. Both of them turn to look at us in horror before realizing that Yone and I are here.

“Finally! I thought I was going to be an uncle by the time you would leave!” Yasuo declares loudly. A couple of people look over at us in shock. Yone is beet red, but it still doesn’t compare to my glow. I’m pretty sure that Some people are blinded.

“Yasuo!” Yone chastises. “That was uncalled for!”

“What? Starshadow said it first!” Yasuo shifts the blame onto my bonded.

_ I mean, it’s not unreasonable.  _ I hear Starshadow grumble. I glare at my companion.

“Get your butt over here, Starshadow.” I growl.

“Hey! Your voice! It’s back!” Yasuo chirps. He puts down his sesame bun and gives me a hug. “You have to try some of this stuff.” I look at Yone with an exasperated grin as Yasuo hands me another bun. “This stuff is way better than the ones in the temple!”

“Where did you get those flowers?” Starshadow asks.

“A little girl gave it to me. Called me a princess. Yone encouraged it.” I glare at him slightly. Yone holds his hands up innocently.

“It was accurate.”

“It suits you.” Starshadow mutters. He slithers up to my shoulder and examines it. “She did a good job.”

“I’m not a princess, Starshadow.” I groan.

“Well, you look like one now.” Yasuo points out. I glance around before pulling my hair free. It takes a few tries, but eventually I get it out.

“What was that for?” Starshadow protests. I pull out one of the flowers and place it in my left ear before untangling the others.

“It just isn’t me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but I’m not a princess. I’m just an ordinary person.”

“With magic that can take us anywhere and can cast shields, illusions, and heals. Oh yes. You’re ordinary.” Starshadow deadpans. 

“Ok, except for the magic, I’m ordinary.” I claim before gesturing to a bunch of little girls and giving them my flowers. They squeal happily about the pretty magician that helped put up the festival gave them something. They run off. Yone wraps his arm around mine.

The rest of the day passes with laughter and joy. As the end of the day draws near, Yone guides our group to the top of a hill where a giant tree rests. He keeps his arm around me the whole time we walk. I hold a very round and sleepy Starshadow in my arms. Yasuo is slowing down as well, to where Yone also supports him on his other side. I lean my head on his shoulder. Today was just perfect.

The people in the festival have all heard of what I did to help them set up for the festival. Someone leaked that I helped banish the Golden Demon somehow and now everyone looks at me in awe. I feel weird as all the attention is on me. I curl into Yone as the villagers move out of our way to the top, like they are making a path for me. Like I deserved it somehow.

“So, the spirit blossom festival. What’s so special about it?” I ask him, trying to ignore my discomfort at being the center of attention.

“The door to the spirit realm opens, and spirits of the past come back for a night to see everyone. They share their stories and watch the living. There’s the Kanmei, they live peacefully. They don’t try to hurt anyone. And there’s the Akana. They are passionate about what they wanted when they lived, and that passion becomes an obsession when they die. The festival celebrates their lives. We remember the people of our past. Some say that we can meet the people we have lost.” Yone explains.

“Are you hoping that you get to see your father?” I ask quietly. Yone shrugs.

“I never remembered meeting him. There’s no one that I would want to say goodbye to.” He leaves Yasuo with me as he goes to a vendor selling lanterns. He buys one with a small light glowing and brings it back to us. Yasuo is leaning against me, very sleepy now. I give him a light shake.

“Is it time for the lanterns to release?” He asks me with a yawn. 

“Almost.” Yone responds. 

“What are the lanterns for?” I feel very out of place, not knowing much about a tradition in Ionia even if I’ve been here for months. Yone 

“They’re to honor the fallen. And to wish well on people.” He holds the lantern out to me. I gently give Yasuo Starshadow. Starshadow shifts a little bit before settling down again. I take the lantern.

“So, when do we let it go?” I ask.

“Right now.” Yone gently pushes my hand up. We both let go of the lantern and watch it join all the others in the sky. I gasp, staring at the site. It’s absolutely beautiful. I bite my lip before looking at Yone.

“You know what would make this even better?” I whisper. Yone tilts his head. We both smile at each other. I’m pretty sure he knows what I want to do.

“How?” He takes the bait. I smile and wave my hand to the sky. The dark sky becomes bright with a pink and blue borealis, the glow of the lanterns become the borealis’ sparkles. I hear all the people in the festival start to clap and chatter excitedly. Even Yasuo looks impressed. Yone stares at me the whole time though.

“What?”

“You’re glowing too.” He tells me. I look down and see that he’s right. I’m glowing the same colors in the sky. I try to cover some of it but Yone stops me.

“Don’t hide it. It’s beautiful.” Yone leans in for a kiss. I let him. He pulls away and looks up at the sky. “This… This is worth fighting for. Leilah… Please. Let me come with you. You are worth protecting.” Yone pleads. I rest my head against his chest.

“I don’t need you to come with me.” I whisper.

“What do you need then?”

“Just you caring about me is enough. I don’t want to pull you away from what matters the most to you.”

“And what do you think matters the most to me?” Yone rumbles.

“Ionia. Your home. That’s what matters the most to you. You told me last time.” I whisper. Thankfully Yasuo and Starshadow are too busy enjoying the river in the sky to listen.

“And it is true, but you matter just as much to me as Ionia does.” Yone kisses my head. I giggle.

“When did you get so affectionate?”

“I’ve been holding back my affections for over a year. Hush.” Yone rumbles. I laugh, enjoying the feeling of being held. I sigh.

“Don’t come with me. Not this time.” 

“Leilah-”

“The next time we see each other, you can choose to come with me. I think we both know that Yasuo still needs you.” I offer.

“...If what you encounter in your life is anything, anything like Bilgewater, I need to train more. I have to be able to protect you.” Yone murmurs. He sighs. “As much as I want to be by your side, I need more training. And you’re right. Yasuo still needs to learn how to temper himself.”

“I will see you again. I promise.” I pull away and look up at him. He leans forward and gives me a kiss.

_ PDA you two!  _ I yelp and glare at my snake. His head is turned. I swear he’s smirking. If his scales weren’t so dark…

“Starshadow being annoying?” Yone asks with amusement. I roll my eyes.

“When isn’t he?” I rest my head against his chest and watch the sight with them. Yone plays with the tips of my hair. The moment, it’s just perfect.

_ I wish this moment could last forever. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, she gets a break. You guys were probs hoping that Yone would go with her. I felt like he was still concerned about his brother to leave. I feel, like Yasuo, Yone wouldn't leave Ionia or defending his home until he's sure that his brother is safe and he can truly protect Leilah. He sees what she went through, and it's actual hell to him. He knows he isn't ready. He's mature enough to understand that. If you guys have any questions about anything, leave a review! I'll get to you on Sunday. Be extraordinary!


	30. First Day in Demacia

_ Where do you think we are now?  _ Starshadow asks me. I wake up with a groan and look around. It’s certainly not Ionia. The hills are too green, and there are hills. Ionia is more flat. Not to mention the trees are a bit straighter. The biggest difference is that there is no feeling of magic around us. I stand up and cup Starshadow to my collar.

“It’s not Ionia. I’d really like to stop teleporting in my sleep, by the way.” I state. Starshadow snickers. “I’m serious! I don’t enjoy teleporting in my sleep! What if I go to sleep in a bed and wake up in the middle of a war? I’m screwed!” I protest.

_ Aurora wouldn’t throw you into an environment like that!  _ Starshadow sounds offended.

“Yeah, but the other one? What’s he like?” I remind him.

_ You’re his vessel. He gets to sleep as long as you don’t die. He won’t kill you either. Besides, I’m very impressed with you right now. You’re not completely exhausted. You’re standing!  _

“Barely.” I grumble, though he is right. A few weeks ago, I would have been unable to move. As it is, I still feel queasy.

_ Hey, take it as a victory! _ Starshadow smacks his tail into my back.  _ You’re getting stronger! Maybe one day you’ll be as strong as me! _

“Starshadow, you’re barely strong enough to lift up a brick. I think I’m already stronger than you.”

_ Psh. That’s because you can’t handle my true self. You need to give me more magic. _

“You are the one that steals the magic into yourself! What do you mean by giving?”

_ Fine. You suck at sharing. _

“Oh, so that’s your big retort?”

_ It’s accurate. _

“Not really!” I snap.

“Excuse me, miss, could you get off the dormisroot?” An old lady asks. I look down at my feet. I realize that I woke up in a field of yellow flowers.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize!” I yelp. I carefully make my way over to the woman.

“It’s alright dear. Just do try to be careful.” She pats my shoulder. I notice that she has a basket of the flowers. I feel bad that I might have destroyed her livelihood. Farming, if you lose a little crop, you could lose a life.

“May I carry that for you?” I ask shyly.

“I wouldn’t want to impose.” The old lady waves away.

“It’s not imposing if I’m asking, Ma’am.” I gently take the basket from her and offer my arm. She blinks in surprise at me before accepting it.

“Thank you, dear. Your parents must be proud of you.” She leads the way even if I’m supporting her. The hillside is a beautiful place. I pause for a moment and just enjoy the view. The old lady notices. “Have you ever been here before?”

“I don’t know where I am, Ma’am.” I reply while walking with her.

“Oh, we are just a small village. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know us.” The elder pats my hand.

“I’m afraid I meant I don’t even know which country I’m in.” I clarify sheepishly. Her face drops.

“Do not mention how you got here when we return to my village.” She orders. I jerk back slightly from her sudden mood change. “I know you used magic to get here.” She whispers in my ear.

“Well, yeah. What’s wrong with magic?” I state at a normal volume. She quickly hushes me.

“Demacia forbids magic. Anything of magical origin is strictly forbidden.” She tells me. I feel Starshadow slip deeper into my scarf.

_ Good to know. No showing myself around Demacia and talking to the locals. _

“Uh, thank you, but why did you help me?” I ask, wary now.

“My son, he’s a mage. He’s a wonderful boy. The law is silly. He’s helped so many people in the village with his magic. He’s a plant grower. It’s why our flowers are still in bloom, even if this is not the season for them. It truly is a beautiful thing.” She explains wistfully. I smile.

“Well, I can’t exactly argue with that. I happen to love magic myself.”

“Were you speaking to anyone when I first arrived?” She asks, bringing up my one sided conversation with Starshadow.

“Oh, uh, no. Part of my magic is that I have an imaginary friend to help me.” I make up on the spot.

_ Hey! _

“Does he help you?” She smiles, like she knows that he’s a real being.

“More often than not he just insults me while helping. It’s very confusing, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I fondly think of my bonded. He’s wriggling around a bit before he stops, no longer protesting. We walk in silence for a moment. She stumbles briefly. I quickly do my best to support her. “Are you alright, Ma’am?”

“Oh, yes. Yes. I’m just a little old. These old bones tend to falter more often.”

“That’s what the elders in my village always said.”

“Your elders have wisdom, child. It’s best you listen to it.” She points a finger at me before continuing to walk. We follow down winding dirt paths for a while before Starshadow nudges me.

_ What? _

_ Can you ask her why we’re here? _

_ What do you mean? _

_ Well, with our history, we show up when there’s going to be trouble. Maybe it’ll happen here?  _ Starshadow points out. I want to smack my face.

“Is there any trouble you’re expecting, Ma’am?” I ask her. She looks a bit confused.

“No, why?”

“Uh, I just thought that there might be some trouble coming.” I nervously tell her. She glances at my hair and eyes before tapping her finger against her lip. 

“I’ve never heard of a magic that warns someone of something bad to come.” She looks at me oddly.

“Well, I’ve found that I tend to show up when there’s trouble around.” I confess.

“Is that really? I’ve never heard of someone like that.” She comments lightly.

“Funny, isn’t it?” I laugh awkwardly. She pats my arm.

“Don’t worry dear. I won’t tell anyone. And if you’re kind and helpful to the village, they won’t tell either.” She comforts me. We walk the rest of the way back to her little home. The houses are a bit bigger than the brothers’ home in Ionia, but it still has that feeling of safety. A young man walks up to us.

“Mom, who is this?” He asks.

“This is a sweet girl I found in the field of flowers, her name is… Oh dear, I don’t think I ever heard your name.” She looks at me expectantly.

“It’s Leilah. My name is Leilah.” I shake the man’s hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Leilah. Thank you for helping my mom get back home.” He takes his mother away from me. I hand over the basket to him. The yellow flower almost seems to tickle my skin when it brushes past my forearm.

“If I may, what is this plant for?” I ask. I can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head.

“Dormisroot, dear. It’s a healing plant that also enhances magic.” The older lady explains. My eyes widen a bit.  _ It can enhance my magic? Maybe it’ll help me make Starshadow get larger.  _ She picks out a flower and places it in my ear.

“Thank you for your assistance, young lady. I have to say, you look beautiful with that flower in your hair. You could almost say you’re glowing.” She tells me, her voice sounding a little bit cryptic. I sneak a glance at my hand. I don’t see a glow. I look at them confused. The man runs his hand through his hair, taking care to rub where the lady placed the flower on me. My eyes widen and look around carefully.

“How do I make it stop glowing?” I whisper urgently.

“Oh, don’t worry, my dear. Remember, this village likes magic. It’s very handy for our livelihood.” She comforts me.

“That’s not my biggest concern. Doesn’t Demacia have a force to stop magic if they ruled it as outlawed?” I fret.

“They rarely come out to these parts of the woods anyway. We’re a small village. No one important comes to us.” The son snorts. I relax.

“So, not all of Demacia agrees with that law?”

“Demacia is an old country, founded in the Rune Wars. It was a place for ordinary people to be safe. Though there’s no reason that I can see that we can’t use magic today.” The elderly scoffs. “If you ask me, Demacia is stabbing itself in the foot by not allowing magic to help. Without my son, our village might starve.” 

“What are the Rune Wars?” I can’t help my curiosity. It sounds like a fascinating story.

“Runes are the most powerful form of magic to exist. People in power fought for the right to own them. I’ve heard that some runes have the ability to defeat gods. These Runes were sought out by many men, not caring who was going to be hurt. Each war lasted decades, sometimes centuries.” She remains silent. I almost pout, feeling like there’s more to the story.

“Why doesn’t Demacia like magic then?” I probe.

“Demacia was founded for those that didn’t want to fight. Magic has been forbidden since the beginning. The problem is, some people can’t help being magical. My son, for example. He was born with his magic and has been nothing but a treasure.” The old lady pats her son’s cheek. He smiles before looking at me.

“Do you have a place to stay?” He asks.

“Uh, no. I just arrived in the area.” I tell him.

“You can come live with us. We have some space, and you seem like a good person.” The man offers. His mother nods excitedly.

“Please do. A young sweet girl like you needs a safe place to stay. Besides, you might enjoy being here.” She almost suggests. I frown, trying to figure her out. She is glancing at her son as well. He turns a bit red, but remains quiet.

_ You and Yone. No one else.  _ Starshadow helps. I blanch a bit and start to back away, holding my hands up.

“They’re coming!” Someone else yells out of nowhere. Everyone’s head snaps to attention and head in one direction. The man grabs my arm and pulls me with him.

“Who’s coming?” I panic a bit.

“Mageseekers. Stay hidden in the back. Maybe you’ll stay safe.” The man states, placing me in the back of the group and behind some tall people. I look around. Some of the villagers carry pikes and axes. I shiver and try to hide. Starshadow plucks the glowing flower from my hair and tucks it into my scarf alongside himself.

_ Thanks. _

_ What would you do without me? _

_ Be at home.  _ I peak around people to see what’s happening.

“Steady, boy.” The oldest man in the group demands. There’s three people, an older man, young one, and a boy. All three wear royal blue and white robes while the people I’m surrounded by are in rags. All three carry torches. I quickly do my best to remain unnoticed, but it’s hard. I stand out quite a bit with my sparkling hair and light blue dress and starry scarf. The boy looks straight at me and the woman’s son before turning his head. He tugs on the younger man’s arm and nods. The man nods back and the boy backs up. The elder woman I helped marches up to the three.

“Do mageseekers burn villages now?” She asks angrily.

“There’s nothing here, move on!” Her son stands next to her. Many others join, hurling verbal abuse to the trio. 

“Hush!” The lady scolds her son with an elbow. When he quiets, so does everyone else. It’s very clear to see that this lady is well respected. There’s still a heaviness in the air though.

“A bushel of dormisroot arrived in Wrenwall six days ago.” The younger man states. He gestures to the flowers with his torch.

“People sell things. People buy things. Is it different in the city?” The woman mocks them. The villagers all laugh. I pull back slightly, afraid of what would happen. It’s very tense and angry. A fight might break out any time. The boy and younger man join in for a moment themselves, although their laugh is uncomfortable.

“Of course not.” The young man tries to keep the peace. “But the flower is rare this time of year.”

“We’re good farmers. Good hunters, too.” There’s an edge in her voice now. She’s uneasy.

_ What do we do, Starshadow?  _ I ask him.

_ Just watch. It’s not our place to interfere yet. _ Starshadow states. I nod and keep myself hidden as best I can. I notice the boy keeps looking and glancing away from me.

“Aye, but the ground is frozen and there isn’t one among you who’s ever worked a plough.” The eldest cuts in. 

“So what? Those flowers can be grown indoors!” The son protests.

He pulls out a carved stone disk and raises it above the flower. The petals wilted. “But they don’t die at the sight of Petricite.” He smirks. “Unless you use magecraft to grow them.” The villagers all tense again, caught out. I tense as well, ready to run if need be.

“The use of magic is forbidden. We are all Demacian. Bound by birth to honor her laws-” The young man starts.

“You can’t eat honor up here.” The elder lady spat.

“Even if you could, your belly’d be empty.” The eldest mageseeker sneers. The villagers all creep forward, angered by the insult. The young man clears his throat.

“The hillfolk have always honored the ways of Demacia. Keeping with law and tradition. We only ask you do so again today. Will the afflicted step forward?” I freeze and look around me, trying to figure out if they would out me. For a moment, no one does anything. “If honor does not compel you, then know we have a boy here that will root out the guilty.” He states. I bristle.  _ A boy his age shouldn’t be doing work like this. He looks younger than I do! Hunting people, that’s no child’s job. _ The crowd all turn to the boy still behind the two men.

“So the runt can invoke magic without censure, but not us?” The son asks. I push my way to the front, changing my hair and eyes to what I used to look like. I doubt they would be appreciative of a girl with different multicolored eyes and sparkly hair.

_ Leilah, what are you doing?  _ Starshadow sounds panicked.

“You should all be ashamed of yourselves!” I yell. Everyone turns to look at me surprised. Only the boy can’t keep his eyes on me.

_ You are a fool. _ Starshadow grumbles in my head. I ignore him.

“You would point all the people’s anger onto a boy? Where’s the honor in that?” I spit. The two men in finery look surprised at my outburst.

“Stand down, miss. We don’t want any trouble” The younger one says.

“How dare you question our-” The elder starts.

“It’s fine, Vannis. She’s young. Let her be.” The younger man states. He turns to the rest of the village. “He works in service to Demacia.” He calls clearly before turning to the boy. “It’s fine. Go ahead.” he coaxes.

The boy looked around everyone, careful not to look right at me. I could feel the hatred from the villagers pour into the boy. I smile at the boy, trying to comfort him. Vannis glares at him.

“It’s alright.” The younger man comforts the boy. “We keep the order. We uphold the law. That’s what matters.” That seems to be enough to make the boy move. The woman takes a step forward.

“Don’t say it, boy.” the woman shakes her head at him. “I’ll accept it. Do you hear me?”

“Enough of this.” Vannis snaps, moving to attack her. I move in front of him.

“I’m a mage! Alright? I’m a mage.” I volunteer myself before him, allowing my magic to fade.. The man holds his Graymark against my throat.

_ You… Are an idiot. _

_ No one should die for this! _

_ And you shouldn't be captured for it. _

“I’ll be happy to take you into prison where you belong.” Vannis snaps before moving forward.“

“Wait!” I hear a boy’s voice call out.

“Quiet, boy. You had your chance.” Vannis grabs me and throws me to his partner. I land on the ground harshly. Vannis makes a move towards the old lady.

“There’s two! And it’s not her! It’s the other one!” The boy cries out. The son runs forward.

“Mamma!” He cries out. He lunges at Vannis, his fingers covered in green thorns. Vannis whacks the man’s head. Distorted, the son stumbles into the young man. The young mageseeker gasps and drops his torch. The son’s clothes catch fire.

“My son!” She screams. The villagers don’t let her run to him as he is burnt alive. They make to move towards the trio, but Vannis stands his ground. I stare at the burning body.

_ Did I fail him?  _ I ask Starshadow.

_ No. This is not your fault. You did nothing wrong except reveal yourself. _ Starshadow squeezes my collar in comfort.

“Did he touch you?” Vannis demands. The man doesn’t respond for a moment. “Marsino!”

“I’m fine!” He replies.

“Are there anymore?” Vannis yells. The boy looks so horror-stricken by the dying man. The fire spreads to the fields nearby. “Boy!”

“No. Just her.” the boy responds, pointing to me. Vannis tackles me and ties my wrists together. I pull at them. I feel a bit tired from wearing them. I try to use a little shield magic, only nothing comes out. I start to panic, feeling my magic not respond to me.

“Let me go! I didn’t do anything!” I scream.  _ Starshadow, stay hidden! _

_ I hate this, by the way.  _ Starshadow obeys.

_ Something’s wrong with Marsino. Can you sense it? _

_ I’m impressed that you can feel that. Yeah, I’ll be quiet. Just don’t expect me to remain so if they hurt you.  _ Starshadow threatens.

_ Wouldn’t expect anything less of you.  _ I think affectionately. Vannis ties the ropes tightly around my wrists and ties them to his horse. Marsino and Vannis take off, forcing me to run at the fast pace or get dragged. I can only spare a quick glance to see the boy look back and see the village lose everything they had. They eventually slow down to make it easier for me to walk and to let the horses relax. We don’t stop until the sun sets. I do my best to catch a breather. Vannis walks over to me and checks my bindings. I wince when he tightens them.

“There’s really no need to make them so tight.” I protest.

“You are Demacia’s enemy, mage.”  
“Hey, I arrived here literally today. I don’t know the laws of this place!” I snap. Vannis slaps me.

“I don’t care where you are from, you are the enemy, got it?” Vannis ties me to a tree. The trio relaxes and refuels, content with how the day has progressed. Well, the men are. The boy is quiet and introspective. None of them offer me anything. Starshadow takes a moment to sneak out of my sleeve and steal some of their food. He sneaks back in while giving me something to eat. I wait until the men relax and head to sleep in their bedrolls before taking a small bite of bread.

“Thank you, Starshadow.” I mumble into the bread. I feel his tail slide against my back, letting me know he heard me. The boy comes to sit across from me, careful not to get in too close. He doesn’t notice me hastily hide my stolen meal. He squirms a bit, looking uncomfortable before he stands up. He stares in the distance. A howl sounds nearby. I jump.

“What was that?” I ask.

“Just a wolf. Or maybe a braget hound.” He replies dully, like he’s not hearing anything. I shiver as a fog rolls in. The fire is just far enough away that I don’t feel the warmth. Starhsadow dips into my magic and provides a little bit of perceived heat. I would have sighed in relief if I didn’t think that the boy would hear me.  
“Are you ok?” I ask him. He looks at me confused.

“What do you mean?”

“That was very scary to see. I didn’t like it.” I say comfortingly. “I doubt you're older than I am, at any rate.” I shrug. 

“I’m thirteen.” He says. I smirk.

“I’m nineteen. See?” I tease lightly. He gives a small smile before looking at me confused.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you so bright and dark and starry at the same time?” He clarifies. My eyes widen. He must be able to see Aurora’s aura and the other one.

“Um, well, that’s a bit of a story.” I move to play with my hair before the rope reminds me that I can’t. “I was born without magic.” I start.

“No you weren’t.” The boy protests. I nod.

“I was born in a little village in Targon. No magic. I was a farmer, like the villagers back there.” The boy flinches. I carry on. “Then one day, I was summoned to climb a mountain. I did as I was asked. I climbed the tallest mountain in the world and met with beings so beautiful not even the skies could match.” I start to embellish. The boy is still a boy, and if he’s anything like when Lye and Geras were his age, he’d enjoy a good story. “Oh, the journey was hard. I nearly died a couple of times climbing, but I made it. Once at the top, they gifted me with magic. That same day, I went home, ready to share with my parents what I got at the top of the mountain. Before I could, I found a ring under a tree. The tree was massive, you see. It was much older than the other trees around it, so magic definitely had a play in it. I touched the ring and that’s how the dark part of my magic appeared.” I finish. The boy blinks at me.

“That’s not much of a story.” He protests. I laugh a bit.

“It’s a little bit of a story. So, what’s yours?” I ask. He hunches inward a bit.

“I don’t want to talk about it much.” The boy quiets.

“At least give me your name.”

“Sylas.”

“It’s nice to meet you Sylas. What are you doing with the mageseekers?” I ask.

“Don’t answer that, boy.” Vannis walks in. I notice Sylas shy away from him. I bring myself to a standing position, even if my bonds wouldn’t let me stand up completely.

“He has a name, Vannis.” I spit. He back hands me across the face again. I turn back and glare at him anyway. “Leave him alone.”

“Come with me, boy.” He sneers at me. I sit back down and notice that the fire has dimmed a little bit. Marsino starts to mumble in his sleep. The two off in the distance keep talking. Marsino starts to moan. He sounds like he’s in pain. Sylas and Vannis abandon their discussion to help Marsino.

“Marsino, wake up.” Sylas pleads. The man pulls himself away. He starts to wail in pain.

“What’s wrong?” vannis asks.

“I don’t know. He’s not waking.” Sylas starts to panic. Vannis takes over. Marsino’s eyes open. I catch a glimpse of his eyes turning white. Vannis curses and pulls away his blankets. His arm is twisted with vines curling around his arm.

_ Well, that’s unfortunate.  _ Starshadow comments.

_ What am I supposed to do now? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find myself unable to give a good comment here. I will say that it's nice to see Leilah's magic mature to something more substancial, where she doesn't get sick or collapse like she used to. It also is an indication that she will be much harder to kill. As her magic grows, so does Starshadow, and like hell Starshadow will allow his bonded to be in any more trouble than he already is.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for continuing to read these stories! I hope your ordinary day is an extraordinary one with you in it!


	31. Beginning of a Tragedy

“Can you ride?” Vannis demands. He lifts Marsino onto his horse. Sylas unties me from the tree and pulls me to Marcino’s horse.

“Not really, but I can keep up if you just take off whatever is taking away my magic.” I snap back.

“Not a chance, mage.” He snaps. While Vannis is busy with Marsino, I drop Starshadow onto the horse.

“I’m not even technically a mage since I wasn’t born with it.” I grumble under my breath.

_ Are you sure, Leilah? You could need me.  _ Starshadow wiggles his way into a hole in the saddle.

_ I’m supposed to be running anyway. I can’t access my magic, so it’s just better overall if you keep your distance.  _ I explain.  _ Keep him upright if you can. He does not look good. _

_ Even if you can’t use your magic, I still can. _

_ I’d rather you stay safe. At least one of us has to be in good shape for if things go bad. _

_ You got it. Stay safe.  _ Starshadow disappears. I look back at Sylas. He’s staring at where Starshadow hid. I put a finger up to my lips. He nods, promising silently to keep Starshadow a secret. Vannis takes the lead from Sylas and attaches it to his saddle. He hops onto his steed and starts a fast pace. I’m struggling to keep up and watch Marsino. He’s constantly shifting and nearly falling. Starshadow pulls on my magic. I look over at Sylas to see if he would tell. His eyes are wide. He looks between Starshadow and I constantly, focused on something between us. He, thankfully doesn’t say anything. He may be young, but I think he understood that Starshadow was keeping Marsino up. It’s obvious that Starshadow is struggling to keep Marsino on his horse. Vannis hops down everytime it looks like Starshadow’s about to lose his grip. I’m dripping in sweat. Sometimes the pull on my magic is too great and I’m dragged until Marcino’s reseated. There’s scrapes and bruises on my stomach and thighs, but Vannis doesn’t care. The last time Vannis straightens Marsino, I catch him glaring at Sylas.

“Leave...him...Alone.” I pant. Vannis smacks my face again. “What is… with your… obsession… With my… face?” I demand. I hear Sylas snicker on his little pony behind me. Vannis says nothing. Instead, he leaps onto his horse and keeps up the pace. My vision blurs to the point where I barely notice that Starshadow is struggling to keep himself large enough to hold Marsino up. We’re in the middle of a clearing after running through a thicket when Starshadow can’t hold on anymore.

“Vannis!” Sylas calls out in time for Marsino to fall right onto his head. I collapse and struggle to catch my breath as both Sylas and Vannis run to him

“We need to stop the bleeding.” Vannis says. I hear the ripping of cloth. “Water.” I glance over to see them taking the best care of Marsino as they could. Starshadow takes his chance to slither back over to my side.

_ Are you holding up ok? _

_ As well as I can. Vannis needs to calm down about mages. My face can’t take too much more abuse.  _ I whine in my head.

_ Please. You know that within a minute of rest your injuries will be gone.  _ Starshadow dismisses my complaints.

_ They haven’t healed, actually. My magic is being sucked away.  _ I point out. A little burst of magic and most of my injuries are healing.

_ I’m still connected to you, remeber? _

“Drink.” Sylas orders Marcino, pouring water from his water skin onto the man’s lips. The man stops screaming for a moment.

“Are we… There?” Marsino wheezes.

“Almost, brother.” Vannis lies. 

“Why build...Wrenwall...so far up a mountain?”

“It’s supposed to be hard to reach.” I hear the irony in Vannis’ voice. Marsino chuckles a bit before it turns into a cough. “Easy there, brother.” Vannis watches him before turning to Sylas. “The dormisroot-do you still have it?”

“Yes.” Sylas perks up a bit. I caught my breath enough to see Sylas pull out a toy, a stone, and the flower. I grin at Sylas’ smile as he looks at the flower. Vannis snatchs it from him.

“At least you did something right, boy.” Vannis grunts. I see Sylas curl into himself a bit. 

“It’s not… his fault… I should’ve been… more careful.” Marsino disagrees. I stare at the familiar flower in his hand before I remember that I have the flower in my scarf too.  _ Thank you old lady and Starshadow. _

“Sylas!” I call. Vannis looks up with Sylas, glaring at me. “There’s dormisroot in my scarf! Can you give it to him?” I ask. Sylas runs over and carefully takes out the flower, trying not to crush it. Vannis ignores my contribution in favor of peeling the petals off the flower. Once he’s done with Sylas’, he takes mine and throws it away.

“Hey!”

“That magic will hasten his demise!” Vannis snaps before turning back to Marcino. He offers the petals to the fallen man.

“Chew on this. It’s not refined, but it will help with the pain.” Vannis comforts.

“What about… the magic?” Marsino sounds scared.

“It quickened the growth and kept it hardy, but the plant is untainted.” Vannis informs Marsino. He keeps feeding Marsino the petals while whispering something into his ear. Sylas gives a small shiver and looks around.

“What is it?” Vannis asks.

“I don’t know…” He looks in one direction for a moment. “I thought-” I spot what Sylas spots. Dark smoke in the distance. Vannis takes no time at all to make a makeshift litter and place Marsino on it. He grabs my bonds and pulls me with them as they race for the smoke.

We come across charred things in a pasture in no time. I could feel my stomach demand to turn inside out, from both the smell and the amount of magic I’ve expended. I do my best to keep it down.

“What do you think did that?” Sylas asks Vannis.

“Don’t know. Stay there and keep watch.” Vannis orders Sylas while giving him my lead. He moves to inspect the mess. It takes me a moment to realize that it was cattle and not some weird punch of firewood. I fall onto my knees, struggling with everything in me to not throw up. 

_ Leilah? _

_ I’m fine, I promise. _

“Maybe we should go.” Sylas whimpers. Vannis turns to him.

“Do you feel anything?” Sylas studies the cattle for a moment before something else catches his eye. He turns around to the farmstead. There was a cabin, a barn, and an outhouse. Without the smoke, I doubt any of us would have found this place. 

The sound of footsteps can be made out as someone approaches. Vannis raises his staff, ready to defend his brother-in-arms. An old man comes around the barn. He halts for a moment. His clothes are too large for him. His weapon of choice, a halberd, held tightly but not pointed at us. It looks like it;s rusted quite a bit, but he has the confidence of one who has used them before.

“What are you doing on my farm?” The man demands, careful to stay out of Vannis’ range of attack. 

“My friend’s hurt.” Sylas pleas. “Please, he needs help, sir.” I see Vannis give Sylas a glare for saying something. I push myself onto my feet and stand in front of Sylas, hoping that I could protect him better. The man glances at Marsino before shaking his halberd at us.

“They have healers in Wrenwall.” He states.

“It’s over a day’s ride. He’ll never make it.” Vannis replies.

“A beast prowls these woods. You best ride out.” the old man gestures to the burnt corpses.

“What kind of beast? Is it a dragon?” Sylas asks innocently.

“Steady, boy.” Vannis commands him before stepping before the farmer. “You have a duty to quarter a Demacian soldier.”

“You wear the blue, but a mageseeker is not a soldier.” The farmer spits.

“Aye, but I was once. Like you.” The farmer’s eyes narrow and he points the weapon at us. I usher Sylas behind me to better protect him. “It’s that pole cleaver.” Vannis explains. “A gut ripper of the old Thornwall Halberdiers, if memory serves. Far as I can see, neither it nor this old soldier have lost their edge.”

The farmer looks at his weapon in fondness. “That was a long time ago.”

“Brothers are for life.” Vannis softens his tone. “Help us. And we’ll hunt your beast down after we’re done.”

Marsinso takes a struggling gasp. I kneel and try to examine him. My magic just doesn’t come. I grunt in frustration. The farmer takes a moment to think about Vannis’ offer.

“That won’t be necessary.” The farmer states. “Let’s bring your man inside.” Vannis picks up Marsino and hurries to the cabin. Sylas follows with me in tow.

_ What’s the plan for getting out of this?  _ Starshadow nearly makes me jump.

_ We have a plan?  _ I ask.

_ You need to not be bound! How does the Aspect of Hope get herself caught so many times? I really doubt that Zoe’s had so much trouble. Myisha got lucky.  _ Starshadow grumbles.

_ I’m not Hope, Starshadow. I’m not special enough to be the entirety of Runeterra’s future. I’m just Leilah.  _ I remind him.

“Who else is here?” Vannis asks while removing Marsino’s tunic.

“I live alone.” the farmer claims. I look around and see little signs that someone else, a child maybe, lives here as well. I choose not to say anything as Marsino’s life is more urgent, not to mention there must be a reason as to why this man is hiding his child.

“We have to cut it out.” Vannis states. Marsino starts to convulse. I try to use my magic to catch him before remembering that my magic is being sucked into my bonds. I growl under my breath.

“Hold ‘em down.” Vannis yells. Sylas pins Marsino’s legs. Marsino’s thrashing so much that he kicks Sylas right in his face. Sylas stumbles back, nursing his jaw. I rush over and check on him. “I said hold him down!”

“What makes you think a boy can hold down a grown man!” I snap. Sylas pulls away to go back when the farmer steps in.

“It’s alright, son. Try talking to him.” The farmer comforts Sylas. Sylas walks to Marcino’s head. I notice that Marsino’s struggling to breath.

“Marsino?” I feel my heart clench at Sylas’s broken voice. I press one hand against the boy’s shoulder.

“Hold his hand, let him know you’re there. It helps with injured animals. Men aren’t much different.” The farmer advises. Sylas grabs Marsino’s hand.

“It’s going to be alright. We got help.” Sylas tries to comfort the dying man. Marsino turns his blood eyes towards Sylas.

“Are we in Wrenwall?” Marsino sounds so scared. Sylas looks to Vannis, unsure of what to do. Vannis nods to him.

“Yes. The healers are working on you.” Sylas lies to him.

“The dormisroot… It bought me time… some time.” Marsino sounds relieved. I see him squeeze Sylas’s hand. “You did good… You did good…” Sylas cries and clutches Marsino’s hand tightly.

“I’m sorry, Marsino. I should’ve-”

“Don’t...it wasn’t...your fault.” Marsino chokes out. He lifts his head and looks around for something. “Vannis?”

“Right here, brother.”

“Tell ‘em… tell ‘em it’s not on him.” I see Vannis stare st Sylas. I move to Sylas’s side, giving him silent support.  _ Well, as much as a prisoner can comfort someone. _

“Aye, bad luck is all.” Vannis finally gives in.

“See… Marsino smiles weakly. “You don’t need… to carry it.”

Vannis clutches Marsino’s hand tightly. “We need to cut it out, brother.” Marsino nods his head.

“He’ll need something to bite on.” the farmer adds. Sylas pulls out a dagger that I didn’t notice before. He places the wooden handle into Marsino’s mouth.

“Good.” Vannis complements Sylas. Sylas doesn’t reply, just staring at Marsino’s arm. Vannis moves to cut into Marsino’s arm.

“Stop.” Sylas says unexpectedly.

“What is it?” Vannis asks Sylas. Sylas remains silent. Vannis starts to cut. Marsino tries to scream through the dagger. I notice Sylas wince from the tightness of Marsino’s grip. Vannis stops and curses. The infection has reached his neck. “It’s too deep. I can’t cut it out.” the mageseeker steps back, looking so scared and unsure.

“What if you burn it out?” Sylas asks.

“You can’t cauterize that close to the artery.” Vannis scolds Sylas.

“He’s only trying to help.” I snap at Vannis. Vannis ignores me in favor of turning to the farmer. “Do you have any medicinals?”

“Nothing that would help.” Vannis looks down to his partner, looking so burdened by a choice he has to make. “You.” He turns to me. I gulp.

“What about me?” I ask.

“Are you a healer?” He asks. I look down at Marsino before taking a deep breath.

“A bit, but I’ve never dealt with magical injuries before, much less to this extent. Maybe I can help him be in less pain.” I offer. 

“Not good enough. Is there a healer nearby?” Vannis turns back to the farmer.

“The closest one-”

“Not that kind of healer.” Vannis shuts him down. The farmer takes a moment.

“I don’t know anyone like that.” The farmer states. Vannis looks like he wants to protest, but he stays focused on helping Marsino.

“The cattle.” Vannis says suddenly.

“What of them?”

“Did they ever suffer from tinea worm?”

“Yes. We burnt it out with a pulvis of lunar caustic.” The farmer tells us.

“If we cut the source and use a thin band of the pulvis for the rest, it might work.” Vannis explains. “Where is it?” The farmer hesitates, looking out the window. Marsino starts to twist violently. I walk up to Vannis, done with being dismissed and held back.

“Get these things off me!” I snarl. Vannis pauses before relenting, using his knife to cut off the ropes. My magic stops feeling sucked out and relaxes a bit. I make my way to him and place my hands on his head.

_ ARE YOU NUTS??? _ Starshadow screams in my head. I wince, pretending that it’s from Marsino’s flailing.

_ Not the time, Starshadow. Besides, I’m not leaving. He needs help, even if it’s help being at peace when he passes. _

“It’s in the barn, but-” The farmer starts. He gets cut off when Marsino wails. I grit my teeth and pull on the little magic I have left.

“I got it!” Sylas runs outside. Marsino thrashes and screams. I add my own screams in as I push every single bit of my magic into fooling him into that he’s not in pain. A moment later, everything becomes quiet. I feel my magic curl around Marsino’s mind, taking away his pain. Marsino relaxes. Vannis checks on his pulse. He gives a laugh of relief, feeling a pulse. I can barely keep my eyes open. My legs are shaking with the strain.

“Vannis? Where are you?” Marsino pleads. I close my eyes and will my magic to let him see again. I hear Marsino gasp and smile.

“Why are you so sad, Vannis?” Marsino asks.

“How can you see?” Vannis asks. I squirm, fully aware that I’m in a private moment. And that I can’t get out.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m dying, Vannis. Don’t be too hard on Sylas. He’s a good boy. And the girl, she’s helping. Don’t be too rough on her either.” I groan with effort to keep Marsino up a little bit longer.

“Vannis, I can’t keep this up! The only thing keeping him alive right now is me!” I yelp.

“You let go of him, and I’ll kill you.”

“It doesn’t work like that! Whatever you put on those ropes, they took my magic. I’m on fumes!” I snap.

“You will last as long as you need to to get him to Wrenwall.” Vannis brandishes a knife and points it at my throat.

“Oh, yes. Threaten the person keeping your friend up. That’ll make my magic return that must faster. Don’t be an idiot! Your hatred for magic is what put him in this place!” I snarl. Vannis pulls back to stab me when Marsino’s arm reaches up and grabs Vannis’.

“It’s alright, Vannis. She’s doing her best. Thank you, miss.” Marsino diffuses the situation. I feel his other arm reach over and pat my hand.

“It’s Leilah. And you’re going to get to say goodbye to Sylas too.” I grunt.

“Vannis.” I feel his head turn towards his friend. “Don’t blame them. Don’t...” I feel Marsino collapse and my magic no longer flows into him.

“No.” I whisper. “No. no. NO!” I scream as I fall to my knees. I failed. I feel Starshadow swipe his tail across my back.

_ You didn’t have a chance. At least you made his passing peaceful.  _ Starshadow mumbles in my mind. I drop my head, feeling like I failed. Vannis just stands there, unmoving. He glares at me. I bow my head.

_ If I can’t keep someone long enough to say goodbye to a friend, how am I supposed to be what Starshadow calls me? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy thanksgiving, my extraordinary peeps! This is Leilah's second attempt to heal a victim. Unfortunately, she still arrives too late to help, though that one, we can put on Vannis, huh? The dude has some serious anger issues. It sucks that Demacia hates Mages so much. They are super useful. 
> 
> Also, feel free to put in reviews what Leilah should be now. She is a combination of a Darkin and an Aspect, so I'm struggling with coming up with a title for her. I'd love any suggestions you put in!


	32. Carrying On

“I found it.” Sylas comes barreling into the cabin, holding the jar up high. My tears fall faster. If I could have just kept him alive a little bit longer…

_ It was his time to go, Leilah. Don’t let that stop you.  _ Starshadow risks being seen by slithering around my neck. He sneaks under my scarf to give me a snakey hug. His scales bring me so much more comfort than I thought possible. I wrap my arms around him and bend over, hugging him in my own way without anyone the wiser. Everything remains silent while Vannis processes that his partner is dead. I close my eyes, crying over my failure.

“What took you so long?” The mageseeker snarls. I pop my head up.

“It’s not… his fault.” I gasp. Vannis walks over to me and slaps me across the face.

“Shut up!”

“Do not blame her for speaking the truth. He was too far gone.” The farmer chastises the man. He turns to me. “Thank you for making his passing peaceful.” Vannis steps away from the body and sits down on a pallet.

“The cur is the reason we’re here.” Vannis sneers. I glare at him and force myself to stand between Sylas and him. I feel Sylas clutch my clothes. “He’s one of them, you know. Pretending to be normal.”

“Your friend didn’t believe so.” The farmer tries to calm down the enraged mageseeker. “Honor that memory.” 

“What is your issue with mages anyway?” I demand. Vannis looks away from the body. He looks around to carving tools and wooden figures. I tense. Starshadow feels it and he crawls his way down to my right arm. If necessary, I’d throw Starshadow at Vannis. It won’t hurt him, but maybe Starshadow can frighten the man enough to leave the farmer alone.

_ Or we just run. _

_ He’s going crazy. I’m sure you can sense it. Sylas doesn’t deserve to get Vannis’ rage. _

_...Why do I get stuck with one of the most selfless, death-happy people? _

_ Because I was your only option? _

_ I’m sure time would find me a better one. _

_ Then you’d be stuck in the stars. Face it, Starshadow, I was your only candidate. _

_ … Shut up. _

“He was a young fool who felt things far too deeply.” Vannis finally speaks. He quiets after that. The silence waiting for his response is uneasy. I feel Sylas shift closer to me. Starshadow tenses as well.

“So it’ll be two of us hunting the beast, then?” Vannis asks, standing up.

“It’s not necessary.” The farmer refuses. “Tend to your friend. I have a wagon. It’s yours.”

“Doesn’t seem proper to leave you here… alone. I’d be abandoning a brother.” Vannis’ tone does nothing to calm me down. I feel a small burst of energy. I realize that Starshadow shared his magic with me so at least I could protect myself, though he can’t easily wrap himself around my wrist anymore.

“I’ll manage. Been doing so since my days wearing the blue.” The farmer tries to ease the clearly agitated man.

“Of course.” Vannis smiles. I don’t even have a chance to react when he leaps forward and pins the farmer to the wall. I keep Sylas behind me when I spot the dagger at the farmer’s throat. “Where is it?”

“What?” The farmer sounds so confused. I see his hand tremble.

“Your beast?” Vannis asks mockingly.

“I-i-it’s in the woods.”

“Does it bed down in your cabin at night?” Vannis snarls.

“What?” Panic starts to build in the man’s voice.

“Leave him alone! He tried to help you!” I snap, stepping forward. Vannis glares at me. I step back a bit. Sylas’s hand holds onto my dress, trembling as he does so.

“Your hammock.” Vannis remarks casually, like I didn’t speak. The knife briefly points to the hanging bed. “Spend enough time on campaign and it becomes your best friend. So,” Vannis presses the dagger into the farmer’s flesh. “Why the cot?”

“It… belonged to my daughter.” The farmer confesses. I notice him flick his eyes over to Sylas. I glance back briefly to see Sylas pale.

_ How much do you wanna bet that his daughter is in the barn?  _ Starshadow asks.

_ Only a fool would take that bet. _

_ Well, it’s a good thing you're foolish enough to get us into this mess.  _ Starshadow snaps.

_ Not the time, Starshadow. _ I chastise.

“She passed last winter.” The farmer continues. I close my eyes, seeing too much of a girl’s toys displayed around the cabin. Too many toys for him to be telling the truth. I figure it out then. The girl’s alive, and he’s keeping her safe from the law. The reason why he’s doing so is obvious. The girl’s a mage. And everything in this situation just screams horrible. Vannis is unhinged. All I can do is try to keep everyone alive.

“Let’s visit her grave.” Vannis comments lightly.

“We can’t.” The farmer looks away, ashamed. “The beast took her.”

“Like it took your cattle? I wager carefully enough we’ll find it on your farm.”

“Leave him alone.” I snap. Vannis glares at me. I refuse to look away.

“There’s nothing here.” Sylas tries. “We should go.”

“What do you see on that table, boy?” Vannis snarls. I feel Sylas look at Marsino. I know he sees the death in his body, the tendrils that took his life. I block his view to the best of my ability. “What do you see!” 

“You’d make a child stare at death?” I snap.

“Marsino… I see Marsino.” Sylas chokes his words out.

“A mageseeker, boy. One of my own.” I sense Vannis is definitely going mad. He’s furious and almost spitting. “What is he to you?” Vannis demands.

“He was my friend.” Sylas whispers.

“Aye… and he was killed by a mage.” Vannis snarls. “This man hides one from us. A dangerous one.”

“A daughter?” I demand. “How old would she be?” I ask the farmer. He jerks at my briskness.

“Less than ten years.” He tells me.

“A little girl, a dangerous mage? Don’t you know magic at all? Don’t you know that magic is specialized? Just like people?” Vannis whirls on me and slams the butt of his dagger into my temple. I crumple to the ground, stunned.

“Tie her up!” Vannis shouts. I feel ropes come back around my wrists. The magic I once felt is sucked away. Starshadow grunts in my mind and pulls the bound magic into himself. He easily wraps around my wrist a few times. “What do we do?” Vannis sounds insane. I shake off the dizziness and sit up. Even if I’m bound, I try to stay between a young boy and a crazed madman. “We keep the order. We uphold the law.” He spits. I glare as his entire face turns mad. Vannis forces all three of us outside with his staff. He smacks the back of my knees. Thanks to training with Govos and Yone, I go down on my knees without bruising them. Vannis jabs the farmer with a stave.

“Call your daughter.” Vannis demands.

“She’s not here.” He winces from the hit. “She’s gone.”

“We’ll see.” Vannis mutters. The farmer looks to Sylas, the only one of us that could be considered free. Even that is a loose term for him.

“I’ll search the barn.” Sylas offers.

“No!” Vannis snaps. ‘No. Let her come to us.” Vannis snarls. I make my way to the farmer, prepared to defend him.

_ Don’t Leilah. You’re too valuable! _ Starshadow cries out. I ignore his cries and kneel between Vannis and the farmer. The farmer looks at me in awe and fear.

“Get out of the way.” Vannis snarls. I stare back stoically.

“Would Marsino want this?” I ask him. He swings his staff into my ribs. I grunt from the impact. My ribs feel broken, but he didn’t kill me. He’s too mad at the farmer to listen.

_ I doubt he was ever going to listen anyway.  _ Starshadow remarks with a groan. He uses a bit of magic to fix my ribs. They feel a bit tender, but Starshadow can’t afford to give me any more magic. Not without risking making us unable to defend ourselves.

“Thanks, Starshadow.” I barely whisper before I hear the farmer scream. I snap up to see that Vannis has cut the man’s fingers off.  _ Get these bindings off me. NOW!  _ I yell at Starshadow. He slithers to my restraint and starts to pull at the rope.

“What are you doing?” Sylas asks, so scared at seeing the mageseeker like this.

“What needs to be done.” Vannis snarls. I can see his grief through his anger. The barn door creaks. “That’s right, come on.” Vannis sounds maniacal now.

_ Almost there, Leilah. Just a few more…  _ I feel my bonds loosen and I slip them off my wrists. I stand up, holding my arm to my ribs. I stumble over to them.

“Papa?” I hear a little girl ask. I snap my head around to see her crying, staring at the sight before her.

“It’s alright. Papa’s just talking to these people.” the farmer stammers. I turn to Sylas. He looks so scared. I wrap my remaining arm around his shoulders. He looks up at me, terrified. I give him a smile and a squeeze. Sylas’ gaze hardens. He looks back at the girl and rolls his shoulders back.

“She’s...normal.” Sylas says.

“Are you sure? Look again!” Vannis actually spits.

“You were wrong. We should go.” Sylas presses. The mage seeker refuses to move and pulls out his stone.

“We’ll see if she passes the trials.” Vannis says sinisterly. I step away from Sylas. He reaches for me, but misses. I step in the middle of everyone.

“She’s a child!” I protest. Vannis snarls and goes to punch me with a stone. The stone glows so brightly Vannis flinches away. The farmer sees this as his chance to save his daughter.

“Run, child! Run!” The farmer screams as he tackles Vannis. Vannis snarls and lands a blow on the man’s midsection. As the man tries to recover, Vannis tries to slam the stave on his head.

“NO!” I yell and hold a shield over the farmer’s head. It saves the farmer from death by bludegeoning, but the girl sees someone attacking her Father and screams. Lightening pours from her fingertips. I pant from all the magic I just used. I need more. If I can keep everyone alive, I need more.

_ Starshadow, I may need some more magic. _

_ It’s not like I have endless reserves!  _ Starshadow protests, but I can feel my body lighten again at the same time Sarshadow’s barely big enough to wrap around my finger.

_ Thanks, Starshadow. We’ll rest after all this, I promise. _

_ Might I remind you that on Runeterra,  _ I  _ rely on  _ you _ to stay here, not the other way around.  _ Starshadow grumbles. I see Vannis turn away from the farmer and move to attack the girl.

“NO!” I scream. Sylas refuses to let the girl die by staff either. I see him touch her, then light envelopes him. “Sylas!” I yelp as I conjure a shadow shield in front of us. It cracks, but holds. When the light finally dies down, I open my eyes. 

Vannis, the girl, and the farmer are all just burning husks. I go to the farmer. He died reaching for his daughter. He was a good Father. I know my Father would do the same for me. I also know my Father would want me to be in his arms if we both died. He’d want to protect me in death. I go over to the site of the explosion. Only one person is breathing. Sylas. I walk over to the girl’s corpse, still reaching for her Father. I bite my lips and pick her corpse up. I hear a groan as I stand.

“What are you doing?” Sylas asks groggily.

“Letting the dead be at peace.” I whisper as I move the girl over to her Father. I tuck her into his embrace. “They may have died in fear, but in death they can be together.” I hear him sniff. I turn around when I’ve arranged the man’s arms to wrap around his daughter. Sylas starts to walk away.

“Where are you going?” I call out. He keeps walking, never turning back. I know that he won’t forget it though. I still remember Bilgewater and it’s horrors. It’s worse for Sylas because in one day, he lost everyone. I stand up and walk into the empty cabin. I lift Masino and pull him outside. I lay his to rest under his brother’s feet before I move the standing man into a lying position. I go into the barn and look for a shovel. Once I find it, I start my task of creating three graves. One for the small family to rest with each other, one for Marsino, and one next to him for Vannis. Vannis will be buried with his staff, a warrior to the end. Marsino with flowers, for his kindness. Daylight rises overhead by the time I’m done digging their graves. I pull them into their designate spots. I tried to use my magic, but they don’t seem to work on corpses. The day is almost over when I finally bury them. “May you find the peace that you could never have in life.” I murmur.

_ What now?  _ Starshadow pokes his tiny head out. I look around. The magic outburst from Sylas has destroyed almost everything. I sigh.

“We stay here. We train.” I state. Starshadow pulls himself back a little bit.

_ Train what? _

“I think I could have healed Marsino.” 

_ How do you know you can? You don’t have any magical maladies to heal. _

“I’m sure I can do it, I just need to meet with him again.”

_ Don’t you remember what happened last time? _

“Of course I do. Doesn’t mean I can’t try again.”

_ You were nearly corrupted. If I wasn’t there, you would be in deep shit. _

“Details.” I wave off.

_ No, not details! As I have said, I am entirely reliant on you! You need to survive! You’re the Aspect of Hope now! You can’t risk yourself as much!  _ Starshadow protests.

“I’m still Leilah! I can’t sit by and watch everything happen! That’s not good for anyone!”

_ You have to survive. I can’t live without you. _

“And that’s why I have to talk with him. I can’t sit on the side and watch people die! Not anymore. They didn’t deserve to die. And as you said, you need my magic. If I can make it stronger, then you won’t be in risky situations trying to keep up with my demands. We need to know what that magic is capable of.”

_ Ok. _ It takes a moment before I realize that Starshadow has agreed to my request.

“What?”

_ Ok. You’re right. Holding you back until you are forced to deal with something terrible could get you killed. You need to know that magic, otherwise you would definitely die. _

“I’m not that bad!”

_ SAYS THE ONE THAT VOLUNTEERED HERSELF AS A MAGE TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD ARREST OR KILL THEM! _ I wince at that.

“They didn’t kill me.”

_ They definitely could have. Vannis was not sane. _

“Ok, ok, I get it. Listen to the celestial when it comes to my safety, ignore the snake when he insists I sit on the sidelines.”

_ That is not the moral of this story. It should be listen to the all-knowing celestial at all times. _

“ Agree to disagree. So, how do we start?”

_ It’s not going to be fun. _

“Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”

_...We are going to be having words as to what you should and should not say… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it is a holiday, I thought I'd treat you guys to two chapters in one day! Like I said earlier, Happy Thanksgiving! Let it be as extraordinary as you guys are!


	33. Daamien's Story

“ **_LET ME SLEEP!_ ** ”  _ The being in my mind snarls. I wince. _

_ “We may need your help. Leilah’s not as sick from using your magic anymore, thankfully. We’d like to learn from you what we can do.” Starshadow tries to help me. _

_ “ _ **_MY POWER SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN AWOKEN!_ ** _ ” The being shouts. “ _ **_LET ME SLEEP!_ ** _ ” _

_ “What’s wrong with your power?” I ask. _

_ “ _ **_I WAS A BEING OF RESPECT, TO BE CHERISHED. I AM HATED, I AM FEARED. LET ME SLEEP!_ ** _ ” he screams, sounding like he’s in agony. _

_ “I’m not afraid of you.” I say confused. _

_ “ _ **_LIES!_ ** _ ” He throws some magic at us. Starshadow takes the hit. It turns him dark for a moment. I hear him grunt before he returns to his normal yellow self of my mind. “ _ **_I’m sorry, I’m sorry._ ** _ ” The being whimpers as Starshadow shakes it off. Both Starshadow and I look at each other. _

_ “Are you ok?” I ask shyly. The being curls into a ball. _

_ “ _ **_Once, I was beloved. More so that the great general of the Ascended. Now I’m a cur. I hate this world, but I cannot hurt it. I need it gone, but I cannot do it._ ** _ ” The being cries. _

Did you wake up Daamien?  _ Both Starshadow and I look to Aurora. Starshadow shoots over to Aurora for a hug. She gratefully returns it. _

_ “Daamien?” I ask. _

He’s a bit of a lost soul. Poor guy. He’s not wrong. I watched him take care of all the surviving wounded during Shurima’s greatest moment.  _ Aurora starts. _

_ “He’s from Shurima? That place has been buried for centuries!” I blurt out. _

Yes. He would take all those that were innocent and didn’t want to hurt anyone back to the hospital. He rescued so many during the war. They all loved him and would fight for him alone. He collected his own mass of followers. He could never harm anyone. All he could do was use his magic to heal. That’s where you get the healing magic, Leilah. One day, the war stopped. His commanders began to fight amongst themselves. They ever tried to force poor Daamien into choosing a side, but he refused. As he could not harm, he would not fight. He was the one to give the people warning of the fallen commanders. All those that praised him heard his cry. ‘The Ascended have fallen! Run for your lives! They will not rest until war starts again!’ Most people heeded his words. Some worried about Daamien and asked what he would do. Do you know what he said? _Aurora tells his tale. I shake my head._ ‘Your lives are in danger if I do nothing. I must stop them.’

_ “Daamien sounds like a wonderful being. Why does he sound like a lost child now?” I ask. _

_ “I knew him from my own watching in the stars.” Starshadow picks up the story. “When he became a part of the Ascended, he took an extra vow. Most Ascended vowed to protect Shurima. He vowed to help any and all that need it. He vowed to never hurt another being purposefully. By the time anyone understood what he promised, it was too late. The general was furious. Daamien was a promising individual. He was skilled enough to be a great warrior. The general had his heart on Daamian being his protegee, but Daamien had a soft heart. Daamien hated war. He hated hurting people. So his vow made him unable to harm anyone. He could only help, you see?” _

_ “Is that why we can’t attack?” I ask. _

It certainly is part of it. I too influence your abilities. Regardless of what Starshadow says, I am but a guide. Just like you, my dear.

_ “Is that why you chose me?”  _

Out of everyone in Runeterra, a small farm girl asking someone for their story because you want to know them was heartwarming. Using that knowledge from the warrior to help someone else, you were the perfect candidate. No one else even came close.  _ She gives a soft smile. _

_ “What about Daamien? He looks to be in pain.” I gesture to the crying individual. Aurora glides over to Daamien and caresses his hair. The being shivers and melts into her touch. _

Even if Daamien could not be hurt, he was still labeled as a fallen Ascended. Even if he constantly pulled people from civil war, even if he never harmed anyone, his power is too great for an ordinary human. His followers never even dreamed to fear him, but the fear of the others kept the humans at bay. Daamien stood alone against his fellow Ascended. The Fallen were getting too strong for Daamien to stop. He needed help, so he called for Myisha. Myisha gathered all those who loved their healer. She taught the humans how to capture the fallen Ascended, but in order to keep the Ascended from learning that they would be trapped, they needed a distraction. Daamien volunteered. Everyone who knew him and loved him cried and begged, but Daamien was set in his ways. He knew that out of everyone, only he, the healer and protector of everyone, could hold them at bay long enough. So, he strode out into the open, calling his fellow Ascended.

_ “Daamien held them. By sheer will, even if he could never hurt them back, Daamien kept them around long enough for the humans to contain them. He became absorbed into a ring he carried, always the symbol of his status, as his fellow Ascended were imprisoned into their own weapons. Daamien couldn’t see his people’s tears. He couldn’t hear their wails of grief. He was stuck in a senseless world.” Starshadow picks up. I find myself kneeling before the great healer, tears flowing down my own face. I join Aurora in trying to give him comfort. His blood red cracked eye, so similar to my own, looks at me in fear and fury. “The years passed before someone would take up the ring. They heard Daamien’s voice, heard him greet the holder. The ring was dropped. Daamien was stuck alone in his prison again. What he didn’t know is that the being who picked up his ring was a thief. The ring was a center of hope and love from the people. It was black adorned with a glowing ruby. To an outsider, Daamien was the perfect thing to sell. The ring he held for a moment, he dropped it into his bag. The thief took his prize home to Targon.” _

All of Shurima wept the day they discovered their beloved healer gone.  _ Aurora comments. Daamien doesn’t look like he can hear any of what was being said.  _ I think he thought they forgot him, and he fell like his former comrades. He was mad at the world. The next time a thief tried to hold his ring, he emerged. He took over the being and found himself in the middle of a forest. He tried to strike the ground, but the vow he made would not let him. Everytime he tried to strike, he would feel the pain he would cause. He hated the world, but he couldn’t harm it. Instead, he led the thief to a sapling. He forced the thief to dig a hole too deep for the thief to easily dig him back up. The last time he saw the world, he was dropping his prison into the earth, taking him with it.

_ “Then you climbed the mountain. You gained Aurora’s powers. And Zoe interfered. She’s certainly a fair bit of trouble. She took us to the tree. Over the centuries, the ground could feel his pain. The sapling grew into a great big tree, and cradled his prison in its roots. When we touched it, Daamien was overwhelmed by his senses being awakened. He lashed out. Only the interference of myself and Aurora kept you as, well, you. Daamien was wild, his mind lost. We don’t know why the ring disappeared, but it was clear that he would stay. He pleaded for us to kill him, but both Aurora and I knew him. We knew he was a lost soul, so Aurora took him into her light to heal. He’s still not ready.” Starshadow hovers nearby. _

_ “He’s a healer?” I ask. They nod. I bite my lip and try to access his magic. I feel it respond to me. It’s annoyed and reluctant. It feels like his magic wouldn’t acknowledge me as it’s user. I ignore it. _

_ “Leilah?” Starshadow asks. I see my hands shimmer with darkness. I reach over to Daamien’s head. Immediately, I’m pulled into his mind. It truly is fragmented. There’s so much pain in his head that I almost back out, but I push in. Some of his memories float by in the fragments. I see him appear and disappear using light itself. He would grab whomever was on the ground and give them a bed. He faced his general’s fury but kept strong. The part that is painful is his isolation. I can hear his thoughts turn on him. I ignore those poisonous words and keep moving forward. “Leilah! You’re turning into him!” Starshadow’s voice echoes. I grit my teeth. _

_ “His mind.” I hear my own voice echo. “It’s poisoned. He hates himself. I need to help him.” The poison words and magic is starting to weigh me down. I stumble and fall. I feel the darkness sink into my body. I panic and struggle to pull myself out, but it’s no use. I just keep sinking. I reach up as the blackness pulls me down. I take a deep breath right before the ooze covers my face. I feel my hand slowly become more and more corrupted before someone grabs it. It pulls as hard as it can. I can feel the ooze back away. I cough as my head emerges to see a bright man. On his finger glints a ring, a familiar ring from under the sapling. The only difference being the color. His ring is gold with white diamond sparkling. A stark contrast to the ring that was dissolved. _

_ “ _ **_You are a fool, you know._ ** _ ” His voice is kind but scared for me. “ _ **_You can’t help. Get out while you can._ ** _ ” He orders. I’m still mostly stuck in the ooze. _

_ “I’m not leaving, Daamien. You might be a healer, but you need help too!” I hear my voice sound like it did when I was six. I glance down at my hands. They’re so small. _

_ “ _ **_You, a child? How can you possibly help?_ ** _ ” Daamien humors me. I glare at the dark thoughts around him. _

_ “With a little bit of light. Aurora, a little help here!” I yell. I hear the dark thoughts scream as a borealis appears in his own mind. Daamien blinks. The ooze no longer tires to hold me down. _

_ “ _ **_What did you do?_ ** _ ” Daamien asks. I gasp and pull myself out of the blackness. It tries to swarm me, but the magic I was gifted with flows out of me. It backs away rapidly. It hisses and mutters even angrier thoughts. I feel myself grow taller. _

_ “Aurora’s powers, they’re a guide. Now, I’m giving you a choice. You can stay here, or you can follow the borealis out of this place. It will be long, it will be hard, but you can get yourself out of this and feel better. Come with me.” I offer my glowing hand.  _

_ “ _ **_I deserve this punishment. I imprisoned my family. I hurt people._ ** **”** _ Daamien backs away. I can see the darkness reach for him. _

_ “What were your vows?” I blurt out.  _

_ “ _ **_I’m sorry?_ ** _ ” _

_ “The vows you took when you Ascended. What were they?” I demand. _

_ “ _ **_I would only help and never harm._ ** _ ” He sounds confused. _

_ “Then why do you say you hurt people?” I cry. Daamien blinks. _

_ “ _ **_I… I can’t, can I?_ ** _ ” Daamien whispers to himself. The ooze shrieks a little louder and tries to make Daamiien disappear again. I blast a little bit of borealis magic to the ooze and push forward. _

_ “Grab my hand, Daamien. There’s friends on the other side, just trust me!” I cry out. He looks at me. He smiles. It’s so radiant that the angered voices quiet. I feel his hand grab mine. _

_ I blink to find Aurora and Starshadow staring at me, absolutely scared. I take a deep breath and fall forward. Starshadow catches me. I notice that my arm is as normal as it ever was. _

_ “What were you thinking?” Starshadow asks. _

_ “He was a healer with no healer. I thought I’d be his, even if I’m not one.” _

That was rather brave and foolish of you, Leilah. You could have lost yourself.  _ Aurora scolds me. I smirk. _

_ “I was in trouble. His vows, he couldn’t leave me.”  _

_ “ _ **_You are certainly trouble, Leilah._ ** _ ” Everyone snaps their heads to see Daamien looking at us. There’s no sign of the conflict that he had earlier. “ _ **_You took a rather large gamble._ ** _ ” _

_ “So did you.” I retort. Daamien gives a chuckle before looking around my mind. “ _ **_It’s beautiful here._ ** _ ” _

_ “Thank Aurora. She’s the one that is causing all this.” _

I did no such thing.  _ I turn to Aurora, confused.  _ This is all you. This is what attracted me to you. I just gave you the magic. You are the one who manipulates it.  _ Aurora firmly informs us. _

_ “Aurora…” Starshadow almost protests. _

You and I both know this. This is why I asked you to go to her in the first place.

_ “ _ **_If I may, what have I missed?_ ** _ ” Daamien interrupts. I laugh tiredly in Starshadow’s hold on me. _

Why don’t you go back to the real world? I’m sure you’re starving by now, Leilah. _ The great Aspect suggests.  _ I’ll catch Daamien up on everything.  _ I nod my head and close my eyes. _

I open my eyes to stare at the world around me. For some reason, everything in my perception seems brighter. I stretch myself out and stand up. My neck cracks as I work out all the kinks. Starshadow’s form, a little bit bigger than before, shakes as he wakes up.

_ There was really no need to do that. _

“Yeah there was. I’m a conduit for their magics. I’m guessing that their magic and vows flow through me as well. As much as he couldn’t leave me to be hurt, I couldn’t leave him.”

_ You are a fool. And what are we going to do for food? _

“Really? You’re still going on about food?”

_ Leilah, We’re in the middle of nowhere. The cabin may have supplies to last us for a little bit, but we are still going to be in trouble if we can’t find food. _

“Don’t worry so much, Starshadow. I’m a farmer. I can grow food.” I wave him off.

_ What food can we grow? Body manipulation and light-dark illusions. Yes, we can grow plants. _

“You made your point. There’s enough food to last us until we can get to a town. I’m sure we can find some work there and see what else we can do.”

_ The mageseekers mentioned a place, Wrenwall? _

“Yeah, a day away. We take some time to recover and for you to get a bit bigger, then we head to Wrenwall. Deal?” I ask as I walk inside to clear up the mess.

_ Deal. Now make some grub, woman. It better be good. _

“Excuse me?” I snap.

_ Please? _ I roll my eyes before shadows start creep up our bodies. There’s no sign of illness. I give a very loud groan at the timing of it but don’t fight against it. It pools over our heads and releases us into a large room. I barely get the time to rub my temples before spears are pointed directly at our heads. I raise my hands up to show that I am not armed. Starshadow wiggles himself into my scarf to hide. The ones holding the spears reach out and grip my wrists tightly.

“Hey!” I snap. The spearmen glare and attempt to hold my wrists tighter. I force them to relax and let go. It’s a drain on my magic, but I can still stand. “I’m not a threat! I’ll come willingly, I just don’t have a good experience with being manhandled.” I explain as calmly as I could. One points a spear directly into my face.

“How did you come here?” He demands.

“By shadow. Where is here, by the way?”

“You have come here and you do not know where here is?” He demands.

“I believe I just said that, yes.” I snap.

“Do you not know you stand in the presence of the Empress of Ixaocan?” He pushes his spear closer. I back up.

“And where the hell is Ixaocan?”

“Ixtal. The true origins of magic.” He claims.

_ Did I just travel across Runeterra into a new, unknown location, AGAIN? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, wonderful readers! I know I might have spoiled his name a chapter or two ago, but here he is in the flesh! Daamien, a fallen Ascended healer. And we all know who else is a fallen ascended. Ballsy, that girl is, diving headfirst into a crazed mind to help him.
> 
> Thursday, I'm sure you can guess who we're going to have a chat with. Until then, Be extraordinary!


	34. First Day in Ixaocan

“You arrived in Yun Tal… Without knowing you were going to arrive here?” The guard asks. His spear creeps closer to my throat. Starshadow wriggles in my scarf. The spear instantly points at it.

“If you could kindly put that away, I’d be grateful. I don’t have a single weapon on me.” I yelp. He doesn’t lower his weapon.

“What is your name, child?” The Empress stands up, grabbing a ring with three prongs around it’s outside. It glows an orange color when she touches it. She starts to casually spin it.

“It’s Leilah.” I gulp.

“Leilah who?” The guard next to me demands.

“What do you mean who? It’s just Leilah.” I try to back away. A sharp prick in my skin makes me stand still. Starshadow’s scales rise against my neck.

“Everyone has a last name, Miss Leilah.” The Empress starts to spin the ring faster. The very air around us feels heavy..

“I come from a small village in Targon where everyone knows who the other’s families are. We don’t have last names there.” I explain quickly. The Empress raises an eyebrow. She starts to spin her ring even faster, using two hands. The ground responds to the spinning, making everything turn shaky. I fall onto my butt as the guards appear to look unbothered. The Empress starts to advance towards me. I start to crawl backwards when Starshadow leaps out of my scarf and raises his small head in my defence.

“She’s telling the truth!” Starshadow’s voice makes the world still. None of the guards look like they know what to do with a talking snake. The Empress’s swinging slows down a little bit before picking up. My wrists are suddenly bound in earth. Starshadow’s body becomes buried. He doesn’t seem concerned, so I try to relax.

“Why should I believe the word of a familiar?” The Empress demands.

“I’m not a familiar. Have you ever heard a familiar being able to talk so clearly?” Starshadow continues to speak, but not in a language I know. The Empress clearly does, as she looks up at me sharply. The other Guards seem just as surprised.

_ Starshadow, what did you say? _

_ I’ll tell you after. Right now, I need to concentrate.  _ Starshadow continues to speak in their language. It’s quick, musical and rough at the same time. The Empress raises an eyebrow. She says something back. I sit helpless, hoping that Starshadow will be able to handle what is being said right now.  _ She’s curious about your appearance, especially since I told her that you didn’t always have these colors. I think it’s been two and half years since you had brown hair? _

_ What does that have to do with anything? _

_ Apparently everything. It’s never been heard of in Ixtal, being born without magic and gaining it later. You’re going to be a celebrity! _

_ Starshadow… _

_ Yeah, yeah. More accurately they’re going to put you somewhere close by so people can experiment on us. I’m arguing for better accommodations and social interactions. _

“You say your name is Leilah. Where did you get your magic?” The Empress switches back to the language I know.

“I climbed a mountain. Mount Targon. I was gifted magic from one of the Aspects.”

“Which pretender would gift a normal human magic?” One of the guards asks. 

“Pretender?” I can’t stop my mouth from talking. The Empress says something sharply to the guard. Starshadow flinches and joins in their conversation. 

_ Well, that was incredibly rude. _

_ What are you talking about? _

_ She just said to not insult other cultures to their faces, even if they are wrong. I told her that if you had false magic, I wouldn’t exist. Besides, who are they to judge how people gain their magics?  _ Starshadow translates. I feel very uncomfortable not knowing what is being said.

“Can we just speak in a language we all know?” I plead quietly. The Empress raises her eyebrow.

“You hold much magic to have a familiar, yet you speak and act like one of my middle children. How old are you?” She asks me.

“I think I turned eighteen a season ago? Starshadow?” I turn to Starshadow for help.

“It’s been a while. I only know of the time because of how old our friends in Ionia are.”

“And we saw them a few days ago, so eighteen and two seasons?”

“Sounds about right.” He turns his attention back to the Empress and continues to speak in their tongue.  _ She’s more curious as to how a child managed to get magic from the top of the mountain that… Oh? _

_ Star- _

_ Apparently, according to Ixtal history, Ixtal helped found Shurima and the Targon region. Cute. In reality, Mount Targon was always there. Ixtal ‘found’ it. They did help found the religion in Targon, I will give them that. That’s it though. Cocky people, aren’t they? _

_ So, what are they going to do with us? _

“Leilah, was it? You’ll be a guest in my home for a while. We will find a task for you to do. In the meantime, do not attempt to escape your room. It will not end well for you. Hernando!” The Empress barks. The guards all put their spears down. The one that was entirely focused on Starshadow comes over to us. He yanks my hands from their earthy prison and pulls me to my feet. Starshadow just slithers out from his.

_ My scales! They’re filthy! _

“Drama queen.” I mutter in my mother’s tongue. Interestingly enough, Starshadow doesn’t react. It doesn’t seem like he knows all ancient languages. The guard looks interested in what I said. I just shrug my shoulders and gesture to my bonded. “He’s whining over his scales. Do you happen to have a bath to where you're taking us?” I switch back to the common language of my village. 

“You are a guest of the Empress.” He answers like that means something. I must look very confused as he sighs and raises a hand for a passing person. He says something. She nods and quickly leaves. 

_ Thank you, Leilah. You are my favorite.  _ Starshadow rubs his head happily against my face. Any dirt that he still had on his scales at the base of his head rubs off on me. I quickly pick him up and hold him at arm's length.

“That was mean, Starshadow.” I scold him. He snickers before he nods his head. He carefully slithers to my shoulder and sits there. We walk for a while. I lose count of how many doors and corridors we walk by. He starts to walk to a door when a little girl with curly white hair charges head first into Hernando. Hernando smiles at the girl fondly, ruffling her hair and kneeling in front of her. They eagerly speak to each other in hushed tones. She glances at me and immediately ducks behind the guard. Hernando laughs.

Starshadow speaks up in their tongue. She squeaks before speaking with him. She looks at me curiously. I wave my hand, very uncomfortable without being able to communicate with people. She says something to Starshadow. He responds before flicking his head to me.

_ Say your name.  _ Starshadow instructs me. 

“Leilah.”  _ What do I do? _

_ You can hold out your hand in greeting.  _ Starshadow deadpans. I offer my hand to her. She looks at it before shaking it.

“Qiyana.” She says clearly.

_ How do you say nice to meet you? _

_ Repeat after me.  _ Starshadow orders. I carefully repeat his words. Her eyes light up and she quickly spouts off a long phrase. The guard snorts before sounding like Father when I did something wrong.  _ Oh my. _

_ What? _

_ She just called you beautiful and she’s demanding to have you as a personal servant to serve her so that way she’d have the prettiest servant by her side at all times. Hernando is scolding her, saying you are a person, not an object. _

_ What??? _

_ Hey, I’m just translating. She wants you to go with her to her tutoring lesson. Maybe you’ll learn something.  _ Starshadow translates before he speaks to her. She pouts but nods. 

“Qiyana!” A male voice calls out to her. She sighs before running away. The guard opens the door to my so-called room while I’m here.

“A bath for your snake is here. You can also wipe your face while you're at it.” The guard gently ushers me into a bare room. If it wasn’t for a steaming bucket on the ground, there would only be an emerald bed in the space. There’s a little room off to the side. I look in to see some sort of bathroom. I reach up to a pulley system and pull it. Water splashes in front of me. I jump a little bit.

_ Leilah, wash me!  _ Starshadow jumps into a bucket of warm water. He sighs, moaning in my head about how good it feels. I roll my eyes and start to work diligently on his scales. I don’t have anything else to do anyway. The entire time I’m cleaning his scales, he groans his appreciation.

“I hope you know that you're a spoiled, vain snake.” My mouth runs on its own.

_ Hey, You are incredibly hard to keep alive. I need a little pampering. And while you’re here get out the dead skin too while you're at it.  _ Starshadow rubs his nose against the rim of the bucket and manages to pull off the top layer. I roll my eyes and help get them off. Once I’m done with his royal highness’ skin, he sinks into the bucket, his nose barely out of the water.

“You’re going to drown, and I’m not that hard to keep alive.” I protest. His head rises out of the water with a glare.

_ Which time did I not have to look out for your safety? Let’s start at the beginning. Helping Yasuo into the temple, nearly died at least twice from the cold you got. Then you tried to call Daamien, had to help keep your mind sane then. Then Bildgewater. You were tortured. I used our magic to keep us alive. You did die in Navori. I used almost all my magic bringing you back. We only reached about a year now. There’s still another year and a half to go. Need I go on?  _ Starshadow deadpans. I play with my hair a little bit.

“Ok, ok, I’m not the easiest person to keep alive. Are you happy now?” I sit down on the bed and hold my head in my hands. I hear him slither out of his spa. His wet body slithers up my leg and coils up in my lap. I look up into his eyes.

_ You’re not the easiest, but don’t think for one second that I hate it. I’m glad for the change in my life. I’ve genuinely enjoyed being around you, even if I think you are suicidal at some points. _

“I’m really not.” I mutter under my breath. Starshadow’s close enough to hear it.

_ Sylas? _

“He needed help. What else am I supposed to do?”

_ I don’t know, maybe be SUBTLE and help him that way? _

“Explain how I would be able to subtly help him when it’s pretty clear he can see my magic.”

_...Fair enough. _

“Leilah!” A knock at my door interrupts our conversation. I quickly splash some water onto my face to wipe off dirt and open my door. Qiyana stands in front of me, carrying a book. She passes it to me and looks at me expectantly. I open it. There’s words I see are targonian and then there’s words I don’t know. Starshadow looks over my shoulder and makes a soft grunt.

_ She means well, but handing you a dictionary won’t help.  _ Starshadow scoffs. He talks to Qiyana. She pouts and sighs before grabbing my hand. She pulls me out of my room. I freeze a little bit. The Empress was very clear that I was to stay in my room.

“Qiyana, I can’t leave this room.” I panic a little bit. The girl tilts her head and says something in Ixtali. Starshadow speaks up, translating what I said. She rolls her eyes and pulls me anyway.

_ She doesn’t care. She says that you would be fine as you aren’t actively escaping. Besides, you need to learn Ixtali. Everyone in Ixtal knows it. _

“Is that you saying I need to learn it or her?”

_ Uh, both. You really should learn different languages. We are going to be teleporting a lot, and I doubt everyone knows Demacian. _

“...Fine. Isn’t there some sort of illusion that let’s me understand?”

_ Well… Maybe you can hear what I hear. It’s just you can’t speak it that’s the problem. What happens if we encounter another place that is intolerant to magic? _

“You can just stay in my scarf and listen.”

_ And what happens if they pik up on the fact that you speak too slowly or just stop talking because you don’t agree what I’m saying?” _

“...Fine, but can’t you teach me languages?”

_...Well, now that I think about it, I can, but I don’t know every single language on Runeterra. _

“Hey!” Qiyana yells in our faces. I jump, not realizing that I was so focused on our discussion that we ignored Qiyana.

“Sorry!” I yelp. Starshadow rolls his eyes and says ‘sorry’ in Ixtali. She frowns before repeating what I said then saying something else, sounding like a question. Starshadow nods. She turns back to me and says something quickly. Starshadow nods before turning to me.

“She’s intrigued by the thought of someone else knowing a different language. In exchange for teaching you Ixtali, she wants to learn Demacian. Hernando will be watching over you while you’re out and about. The Empress will understand as Qiyana is her daughter and she wants to get to know you.” Starshadow translates. I nod and kneel in front of her. I wave my hand.

“Hello.” I state clearly. She claps her hands before waving her own hand. She repeats after me before repeating the action and saying her version of hello. I repeat it a few times before I’m sure I have it. She squeals happily and grabs my hand, pulling me with her.

_ Hey, how do you know Ixtali? _

_ It’s an old civilization. Couple of Ixtali climbed the mountain in the younger days of Runeterra. It was much easier for me to pick up their languages as this was before Aurelion Sol was locked up and the Aspects just ignored me. _

_ Oh. Wait, How do you understand my words? I’m pretty sure I use modern day Demacian. _

_ It’s similar to old Demacian. You just sound like you have an accent to me. _

_ Uh, you have the accent with your weird lilts.  _ I let myself get dragged by this little girl to a library. Hernando looks up at Qiyana. He stands up when he sees me. He says something urgently to the little girl. She rolls her eyes and says something back. They get into a bit of a heated argument before an older man barks out something. They both quiet as the man walks up to me. He asks me something, but I can’t understand it.

“I’m sorry?”

“Ah. Demacian. Princess Qiyana says that you did not know Ixtali and asked you to teach her Demacian. Hernando was telling me that you were not to leave your room. They are currently arguing as to what you should do. Is this true?” The teacher asks. I nod.

“Yeah, it’s true. I have a bonded that can understand Ixtali and speak it, but I don’t have any understanding.” I shrink a bit, uncomfortable with the attention. He raises an eyebrow.

“Bonded? What does that term mean?”

“I’m her bonded. Before you say anything, I’m not a familiar. If I was, I wouldn’t be able to speak to anyone else.” Starshadow waves his head. The man raises his eyebrow. Starshadow switches to Ixtali. The man asks questions, sounding faster and faster. Starshadow responds just as quickly before his mouth seems to get tongue-tied. The man laughs softly before looking at me.

“Your friend, Starshadow, claims you are more trouble than you are worth and he wants you to learn our language. It’s true that very few places do not use Demacian as a core language. You just so happened to encounter one such place. You are in luck, Qiyana is starting her elemental training today, so I can focus on helping you speak Ixtali.” The teacher explains. I shoot a soft glare at him as another man, this one younger than the linguist, walks in bearing a ring that was similar to the Empress’.

“...Qiyana?” The man speaks in Ixtali. I look to the linguist to understand the first part of his words..

“Princess.” He translates. I repeat the man’s first word. Qiyana turns around when she hears me. It takes her a moment to realize what I’m doing and she immediately bounds up to me. She repeats her new teacher’s word.

“Princess.” I sound out carefully to her. She sticks out her tongue to the linguist and repeats what I just taught her. The man starts to speak rapidly to her. She sighs and walks away.

_ Her grasp on language has always been poor as she never had an interest in it. She tried to prove her adeptness at different languages, and he just shut her down. _

“Sounds like when I was a child, when my mother tried to teach me how to speak my Mother’s tongue. It took Father speaking it constantly with Mother before I finally learned.” I reminisce.

“So, shall we begin our lessons in Ixtali?” The man asks. I sigh and nod. We start to go over different objects in the library. Starshadow unhelpfully points out that my accent is too strong to the point where I’m almost swearing when I’m trying to say book. We get into a heated argument when there’s a loud bang. I instantly try to locate the source.

“Qiyana!” My new teacher yells. He quickly runs to the injured princess. I scramble to my feet and follow him. 

_ Not even a day. Can we have one day where we arrive in a new country not be filled with so much adventure? Just one day. _

_ Not the time Starshadow!  _ I yell in my head. We round a corner to see Qiyana whimpering as she holds her side. The weapons teacher is yelling at her for something. Starshadow slithers off my body, spitting Ixtali out so fast I can’t even try to make out syllables. The ring teacher pales and quiets down.  _ What happened? _

_ Qiyana had learned the basics in seconds. She asked him for more. He said that the advanced techniques were for her sisters as she is the youngest and will probably never need to learn. So Qiyana glared at him and started to mimic what she saw her mother could do. You can guess that it was quite advanced. Even better, she actually managed to get the earth to respond to her before she got hurt. He started to rant about what an idiot child she is. Naturally, I shut that down really fast. _

“What’s wrong with her?” I tap Starshadow’s head in thanks as I kneel next to her and try to help her. She squirms away from me.

_ The ring was going at incredible speeds, but she didn’t have the right stance. As a result, a rock crashed into her side hard. That was why she screamed.  _ Starshadow translates the man’s babble. I touch her shoulder and will my magic to make her not feel pain anymore. She stops wiggling and looks down at her side. I carefully help pull her shirt up and wince. Her side looks terrible, dark red and spreading. I don’t think her rib is supposed to look like that either...

“You’re going to have to hold still, ok?” I ask. The linguist translates what I am saying before Starshadow gets the chance. She nods and lies back down. I lay my hands on her waist and carefully pull on my magic. My hands glow and envelope the area on Qiyana’s waist. Both Teachers and Qiyana watch carefully. My forehead and back is completely covered in sweat by the time her rib shifts back into place after half an hour. I can barely see when her bruise is gone an hour later. Starshadow taps my shoulder to let me know that I’ve finished. When I don’t move, he uses his tail to pull my hands away. My head spins a little bit before I can’t sit upright anymore. My eyes close against my will and I fall into blissful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, I was doing my research, and I noticed that most places know Demacian as a language. Makes a bit of sense when you see the regions that can reach Demacia, but Ixtal just so happens to be one place that did not have Demacian as a primary language. It's Ixtali. As such, I'd think that only those in power would learn the language just in case. As Leilah was rather isolated as a child, she wouldn't know Ixtali, only Demacian, some Targonian, and her Mother's tongue. It's certainly a concept that not many of us have thought of, amiright?
> 
> Well, that's my rant on languages. We met little eight year old Qiyana. I wonder who else we'll meet while she in Ixtal this time? (We all know she's going to visit countries, even cities multiple times. (cough Noxian invasion cough.) Enjoy your day and be extraordinary!


	35. Image of Leilah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I literally just realized that unless you have a fanfiction account, you guys wouldn't know what Leilah looks like. So, here she is!
> 
> *Apparently, can only be seen on a computer, not a mobile, so sorry for those that read on mobile.

This is Leilah with Starshadow in her hands and Mount Targon in the background.


	36. Secrets Uncovered

_ Leilah. Leeeeiiilaaaaah. LEILAH!  _ Starshadow screams in my head. I bolt upright before my entire body protests at my sudden movement.

“Star...shadow… no… yelling.” I plead as I wrap my arms around my midsection gingerly and fall back onto my bed. Everything just hurts. I feel like someone just punched me in the gut over and over again.  _ Like back when I first got magic. _

_ Oh, you’re awake. Good.  _ Starshadow slithers into view.  _ You’ve been out for two days. Two. I’ve been speaking Ixtali for two days. I tried to speak Demacian, but nooooo, Qiyana wants to learn from you. Apparently, I’m not special enough.  _ Starshadow huffs. I glare at him.

“What’s wrong with speaking Ixtali… wait, I’ve been asleep for two days?” I whisper as my lungs almost hurt to breath.

_ Welcome to magical exhaustion. I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with it. _

“Well, yeah, but it’s been a while. I usually just feel tired now.”

_ You used a lot of magic to heal Qiyana’s broken rib. It’s not surprising.  _ Starshadow deadpans.  _ Now pet me.  _

“What?”

_ No one here gives my scales the attention they need. _

“No. I can’t even move, what makes you think that I want to give you pets?” I feel exasperated at his behaviour, but at least he’s not super concerned about me. That means that I’ll make a full recovery.

_ Oh, it’s not about what you want this time. You passed out and no one could rouse you, not even me. I don’t care if I knew you were dying, I had to handle so many concerned people on top of the Empress demanding to know why you were out of your room. I deserve a bath and a massage. _

“...You are being very bossy again.” I mutter, but do my best to sit up. Starshadow helps me get into a better position before he slithers under my fingers. I gently scratch his scales. 

_ Oh, that hits the spot. Yeah, yeah, right there.  _ Starshadow presses himself firmly against my nails. I breath out a soft chuckle when my door creaks open. I look up to see little Qiyana’s face peer in. She breaks into a smile and runs to the bed. She looks like she’s going to jump on me when Starshadow drains whatever magic I still have to block her. They exchange a few words. Qiyana looks a little worried before she nods. 

“Hello.” I try to say in Ixtali. She smiles and nods.

“Hello.” She speaks in Demacian. I give a nod of approval while scratching Starshadow’’s back. She starts to speak with Starshadow.

_ She wants you to know that she’s thankful for all the healing you did, that you were better than most healers. Other healers here would have taken days before she would have been able to walk. _

“I would have helped no matter what.” I weakly reach out and pat her curls. Starshadow translates what I say. She gently reaches around my shoulders to give me a hug. I return it wholeheartedly. When she ends our hug, she pulls out a book. I blink as she opens what looks like to be a picture book. She points at a picture and says something in Ixtali. I look down and see she’s pointing at an animal.

“Dragon.” She says clearly. I blink and look at Starshadow. He speaks to her. She says something back.

_ She’s speaking Ixtali… _

_ Apparently Dragons are dragons in any place. _

_ Well, it makes sense that ‘dragon’ is the same, if Ixtal helped spread around the southern continents. _

“Dragon.” I point at it and state clearly. She blinks before frowning.

“Same?” She stutters. 

“Same.” I smile and nod. She claps her hand before flipping the page. A cross between a rat and a shark appears in the picture. I kinda just blink. She says it’s name.

_ Wharf rat. _

“That thing is a rat?” I yelp before grabbing my midsection.  _ Ow. _

“Rat?” She sounds very curious. I wave my hand, even if Starshadow does not like it. I can feel it over our bond how he disapproves. A small, normal brown rat appears. It sniffs it’s little nose and scurries to her hands. “Rat.” I change the image to be the Wharf rat she showed me. She shakes her head and widens her arms. I make the image grow slowly. When it’s the size of a dog she claps. My jaw drops.  _ They get that big?  _ She giggles maniacally at my face.

“Qiyana…” The Empress steps into the room. Qiyana scurries off the bed and flees to her, hugging her leg tightly. The Empress presses a palm against her head fondly before turning to me with a raised eyebrow. “What was that?”

“She and I have an agreement. I teach her Demacian words, she teaches me Ixtali. Apparently Dragon is the same in both languages.” I try to stand in respect when Starshadow curls around my midsection and squeezes. I feel a sharp twinge of soreness hit me and gingerly return to my resting spot.

“Ah. I had wondered why she was so eager to learn Demacian.” The Empress sits down on the bed and pats my leg. I struggle to not react to the mild soreness it causes. “I have to say, I was not expecting a girl who can teleport and cast illusions to be a healer. And quite an advanced one at that.” 

“I’m sorry?” I ask.

“None of our healers could repair a broken rib and an internal injury as quickly as you did.” She points out.

“Starshadow told me.”

“I don’t think you understand exactly what you did. I had a healer look over my daughter. Other healers would have left a scar or a mark. You did neither.” Her hand reaches to my chin and holds it up. I feel distinctly uncomfortable as she gazes into my right eye. Starshadow interferes with a push of his tail.

“Your highness, while I am grateful for your hospitality and forgiveness at Leilah’s sneaking out of her room, kindly treat her like the mortal she grew up to be, not a new experiment.” Starshadow speaks up. She raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, ‘the mortal she grew up to be’?” The Empress asks, but pulls her hand away.

“She has climbed Mount Targon. You know that I am her bonded celestial, as I proved the day she healed your daughter and properly passed out. You know she’s telling the truth.” Starshadow carefully slithers onto my lap, a physical barrier between his perceived threat. I relax a little bit, prepared for Starshadow to take my magic if necessary.

“Oh, I do not doubt she did. Her hair and left eye are too like the stars and the Aspects to not have climbed the Mountain. No, I’m more curious about her right eye. And you.” She leans in to peer closely at Starshadow. Starshadow stares at her evenly.

“What about our features? I’ll have you know that I enjoy the black and red color scheme. Fits my personality much better than gold and silver. Everyone’s gold and silver up there.” Starshadow easily brushes off her attention.

“A celestial, they typically are golden, blue, or silver of stars. Interestingly enough, you are completely black with red highlights.” She presses against his head.

“So? I’ll have you know I am still a celestial, a son of Aurelion Sol. Just because I am black and red doesn’t change that.” Starshadow easily waves her off.

“But those colors are of another group of beings. These ones were former Ascended, beings blessed by the sun. What’s interesting is that they became something different after their little war ended. Some of them changed, turning dark, black, with their blood pulsing through their skin. They became the Darkin.” The Empress looks at me like I should react to her. I just look at her blankly.

“She doesn’t know about the Darkin, your highness. She’s still young, learning about what her place in the world is.” Starshadow’s tail twitches. 

“I would think she needs to learn what she is before anything.” The Empress tisks him before turning to me. “A Darkin, once an Ascended, became corrupted by their enemies. We were originally friends with Shurima when the war ended. Then, a golden soldier with black fingertips appeared at our border. He claimed that he was a messenger, stating that there would be hell. That we have to pull away, to get safe. He showed us his hands. The black was spreading down his arms. He told us that powerful warriors were turning on their country, but he would find a way to save them all. We believed him. The last we heard of them, the golden soldier had disappeared along with his kin. That’s what was so interesting to me. ‘Kin’.”

“Don’t you tell her.” Starshadow hisses, almost lunging at her. 

“Starshadow, what are you hiding?” I ask him, feeling a little anxious.

“Daamien didn’t want you to figure out what he is. He wanted you to think of him as your friend. He struggles with isolation. You-”

“Are merely a host for a monster. A darkin.” The Empress sneers. I feel a rush of cold run down my spine. I can’t bring myself to move.

“...No.” I whimper. My core whines as I curl into a ball. I think about Daamien. He was always so unsettled. He certainly looked like a monster when he tried to corrupt me in Ionia. Sure, he’d have his moments. He’d hurt me… he’d scare me… but his magic… it’s healing magic… I can’t hurt anyone because of him… He was kind when he was himself. Even when he was lost, he still helped and cared for me... “You’re lying.” I whisper. Starshadow’s tail stops twitching.

“I’m sorry?” The Empress sounds rather mad. Starshadow jumps as well. I look at her in the eyes.

“You’re lying. Daamien is not a monster.” I state a little louder. Her eyebrow raises up.

“And how is that?”

“The golden warrior with black fingertips, He could never harm. If he was a monster, Starshadow and I wouldn’t be talking with you today. He’s the magic that lets me heal. He kept me alive when I couldn’t stay safe.” I feel my body relax, the soreness melting away. I slowly stand and stare at the Empress evenly. “He sent the message to protect yourselves. He sacrificed himself to save the world from his kin.”

“That does not change that he is a Darkin, one that the world wants to make disappear.” She stands up, towering over me. I glare right back.

“He’s a part of me. I’m sure you can’t see it, but he’s not a bad person. He’s my friend. If he has to disappear, I’m going to as well.” I claim. Starshadow makes an odd noise as he twitches. His head cracks into ridges with bright ews pulsing at the base of each ridge. When he stops contorting, He looks at me with so much hope, I know it’s not Starshadow. I carefully scoop him up and cradle him.

“ **Do you mean it?** ” Daamien asks. I nod and hug him tightly. “ **Thank you.** ”

“Just let me know if you need help.”

“ **Aurora’s very helpful in keeping my mind, but I’ll keep it in mind.** ”

“Zoe might have brought me to your resting place for whatever reason she wanted, but you are still important to me. I don’t regret having you come into my life.” The Empress puts her palm out towards us. Daamien turns Starshadow’s head with an unimpressed look.

“Daamien of the Darkin, you are under arrest for crimes against Runeterra.” She intones.

“ **What crimes are they?** ”

“For destroying Shurima, for plans against the world, for-”

“ **Allow me to stop you there, Empress. You spoke of a golden warrior, did you ever get their name?** ” Daamien interrupts her. She looks a little miffed, but shakes her head. “ **Allow me to explain that day. My mentor and other great warriors of the Ascended became consumed by the very thing they fought. That golden warrior too was overwhelmed with grief, with hatred for the very thing they fought. The only difference between them all is the golden warrior was no warrior. Sure, he could fight with the best of them, but he had vowed to never cause harm to anyone. As a result, the warrior kept his mind as hell rained on his city and his friends. He went to the Ixtali to tell them of the dangers and protect themselves, to make one less country in danger. He was already partially corrupted. I still remember feeling the urge to kill the messenger, but my vow made the urge almost negligible.** ”

“You were the golden warrior?” The Empress sounds surprised. “I would have thought he died years ago.”

“ **My body was lost, that is true. My mind, though, is immortal, as well as my magic. We are cursed to live forever more, though I believe that should Leilah die, my soul will finally be able to move on.** ” Daamien shrugs Starshadow’s head.

“Do you remember who that person was that you spoke to?” The Empress almost smirks, seemingly thinking that she had us. Starshadow’s tail reaches up and taps against Daamien’s chin.

“ **As I never gave a name, I never received one. I only went to the border and informed the people there that they should retreat, to hide, as the Darkin would find a way to destroy everyone, not to share pleasantries.** ” Daamien answers. The Empress’ eyes widen and she snatches her hand away from us. Daamien turns to me and rubs Starshadow’s nose against my neck. “ **Now that you are cleared, we have one last thing to discuss.** ”

“What is it?”

“ **I’d like to come out as little as possible. It’s true that I have no ill will, but I am definitely more content to remain away from the real world as much as possible.** ”

“Of course Daamien. Thank you for your help.” I stroke his head affectionately. He gives me a snakey smile as the ridges disappear, turning back into my snake. Starshadow shakes his head clear before looking at us.

“What did I miss?” Starshadow asks. 

“Daamien came for a visit, didn’t you know that?” I blink.

“One second I was on the bed, between you two, the next I feel affectionate… a weird feeling by the way… and the Empress is looking at us like we’re heroes.” Starshadow rubs his head against my chest with a shiver before he looks back up.  _ You’re standing? _

_ Geez, how long was Daamien watching? _

_ Last I knew was that The Empress was accusing Daamien of being a monster and you looked stressed. _

_ Wow. He must have been worried if he was out here for that long. You ok? _

_ Yeah, get back to what I missed. _

_ Well, as it turns out, Daamien warned them to retreat while he fought against the other Darkin. Why didn’t you tell me what he was? _ I ask him.

_...You already had enough on your mind, learning magic, helping others, not seeing your parents... almost dying… Would having you know that you had magic that was changed and manipulated into a darker version of itself help you stay calm and in control? I’m pretty sure you would have reacted a little bit… uneasily. _

I don’t know how I feel. He hid this from me, but he’s also right. What would I have done if I was told of the darkin before? Would I have rejected him, even when he seems so lost and afraid? Even if he’s helped me stay alive for so long? Would I have tried to scorn Daamien? I almost don’t want to think about it anymore, especially since he’s a kind and remarkably charming person that does care about me. I wouldn’t have tangible magic or healing without him.

“... Next time, don’t hide things from me, ok?” I give in.

_ Promise.  _ Starshadow finishes giving me affection and turns back to the Empress. That seems to signal to her that we finished our conversation. They start to discuss something. Starshadow seems a little annoyed, his tail twitching slightly until he huffs and turns away. The Empress smirks and looks me in the eye.

“We’ve come to an agreement. You are to help Qiyana learn her new studies. That includes ensuring her safety. In return, we will teach you Ixtali and we are more than willing to escort you outside of the palace until you disappear to your next mission. We are also open to tutoring you in your magic in exchange for our mages being allowed to analyze your progress.” The Empress offers. I look down at Starshadow.

_ What do you think? _

_ They won't be able to teach you exactly what you need, your magic is too different. They don’t know how to work with Darkin. This place is very elemental in nature. Plus, I don’t trust her not to figure out a way to disable or take your magic for herself. The only part I could negotiate is letting you out of here and studying with Qiyana.  _

_ So, no letting her examine me? _

_ You’re one of a kind, Leilah. You need to learn what you can do without following someone else's rules. Besides, you really can’t hurt anyone. If you could, I would be ok with it. _

“I’m afraid that I can’t study with your mages as I have a rather… unique kind of magic. I’ll be happy to study with Qiyana though.” I decline her second offer. She sighs and nods.

“Your snake thought that you would say that. Very well, Qiyana?” She calls. Qiyana gives a small eep and pokes her head in. She says sorry and something else, I’m not sure. The Empress shakes her head and gently pats her curls. They talk for a bit. 

_ What’s she saying? _

_ Qiyana wanted to stay by you as you made her boo boo go away and she wanted to comfort you. She’s happy to see you standing. Her mother isn’t interested in her excuses, but she said she’s glad to see her daughter be concerned.  _ Starshadow translates.

_ I got the sorry part. _

_ Oh, she can learn! _

“Leilah!” She pounces on my legs. I wince at the impact, but gently pat her back. She pulls out the book again and shows me a flower. Her mother sits on the end of my bed and watches as we go over the different animals and plants of Ixtal. Qiyana always giggles a little bit when I try to say zychid. It’s just such a weird word. She presses against my hands. Starshadow informs me that she wants me to create an illusion of a flower that I know. I nod and wave my hands on her head. A little flower crown of spirit blossoms bloom into view. Qiyana immediately runs to my bathroom. I hear a happy squeal as she peels back to the bed.

_ She wants to know what they are called. _

“Spirit Blossoms.” I point at her head.

“Ionia?” She asks. I nod approvingly and hold up my right hand. She looks at it confused. I gently grab her hand and clap it against mine. She looks amazed and holds her own up. I clap it. Qiyana just looks happy as she bounces outside, holding her hand up to a guard and… I think… demanding the guard to high five her.

“Aren’t you from Targon?” The Empress interrupts.

“I grew up in Targon, but as I said, I’ve been traveling for a long time. I lived in Ionia for the longest time.” 

“I’m assuming you attended their festival. The blossoms don’t grow anywhere else. Any particular reason why you would choose an Ionian flower over one from Targon?” The Empress asks.

“I grew up on a farm. The plants and flowers I knew best were farm flowers. The festival’s are the prettiest I’ve seen.” I explain.

_ Or that it was the day of your first date?  _ Starshadow teases. I shoot him a subtle glare. He just snickers into his tail.

“Well, they are certainly something. Hernando is outside, should you need anything.” The Empress lifts her chin and walks out. Little Qiyana pulls the guard in and starts to speak about her days without me, courtesy of Starshadow’s translation. Apparently trying an advanced technique before her tutor would let her is cause for her to be grounded from her elemental studies for a month, but the tutor was fired for attempting to hold back a princess. She’s been studying Demacian and politics waiting for me to wake up.

“Miss Leilah.” Hernando speaks up. I look up from the excitable princess. He bows his head and kneels. “Thank you for curing our princess of her injury. I am eternally grateful to you. Is there anything you would like?”

_ Churros!  _ Starshadow squeals in my head. I clasp my hands against my ears.

“That hurt, Starshadow.” I groan. He shrugs his head.

_ Churros. _

“My bonded is saying he’d like churros.” I deadpan, glaring at my bonded.

“Churros? Is that all?” Hernando asks.

“Well, it’s all I need. If I don’t get any, Starshadow will be whining over the lack of good food he gets.” I tap his head gently.

“Very well. We’ll get churros for the morning. For now, I will be bringing the princess back to her bed.” Hernando says something to her. She pouts before hopping up to kiss my cheek. I blink and smile. I return her hug. She hops off the bed and races out, the spirit blossoms in her hair fading from existence. Starshadow’s tail flicks as the door closes behind Hernando. I feel a soft weight in my hair. Gently reaching up, I pluck out a glowing spirit blossom. I look at Starshadow in confusion.

“What’s this for?”

“I thought that you would be mad at me for hiding what Daamien is, just keeping face while people are here. The spirit blossom’s supposed to remind you of good times.” Starshadow’s tail rubs his little circle. I shake my head.

“Well, I’m not going to blow up when the Empress is there. Though, when were you going to tell me?”

_ When he is a little more stable. It’s only recent that he’s let you use his magic without making you sick. Would you use that magic if you thought it would hurt you _ ? 

“Could it actually? He’s not capable of hurting me without hurting himself?”

_ I mean, it did before… _

“The nausea...”

_ Exactly.  _

“We could have helped him earlier, to make my magic more manageable!”

_ Not really. He needed to become acclimated to his new environment. Don’t get me wrong, you are the sweetest child in the world, hence why I’m your babysitter. _

“I do not need a babysitter!”

_ Uh, you kinda do. My point being, you might be sweet, but he was aggressive and mad. I took his mind and form instead of you.  _

“How does that work?”

_ You took Aurora’s form. It’s the same as Daamien. _

“Then why is he in my mind?”

_ It’s our bond. It’s like how I can talk with you mentally. We share the same mindscape... Anyway, you’re getting us off track. I know how chaotic his mind is. He would have hurt you much worse than he already has. I would have thought you would have learned that back in the monastery,,, _

“That’s… different…” 

_ You were struggling with your magic. You went into your mind to see if you could control that power to stop your nausea before Daamien was more comfortable with our mind. He lashed out and nearly possessed you if I didn’t realize what you were doing. You tried to control a power when you were barely strong enough to protect a boy from the elements… nearly died… got kidnapped in Bilgewater… did die escaping… I should charge you for how much I protect you. _

“Ok, fine! You have a point. I’m not a child though. We talked about this on the top of Mount Targon too, remember? To not treat me like a small child?”

_...I remember. Fine. I’ll tell you if things get brought up or I think you're mature enough to handle it. _

“Wha- You don’t get to decide that!”

_ You’re eighteen… I’m centuries older… I think I know a bit more about this world than you do. Now, go get some rest. Churros are coming in the morning, and you should be feeling exhausted.  _ Starshadow grows in size a little bit, forcing me to lie down. He pulls the covers over my chest. The little annoyance even pulls out the Spirit Blossom and rests it on my chest. I can sense his apology in his magic as he curls on my pillow. He falls asleep easily, but my mind races. Not even the glow of the Blossom can help me fall asleep.

_ What else is Starshadow hiding from me? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooo, Starshadow is hid the fact that she probably houses one of the most dangerous beings in existence. Makes you wonder what else he's hiding. Like in Ionia way back in like chapter 15 or 16 or 17 (It's been that long already?) We all know that he's incredibly protective of her. He practically confirmed that if he thinks that Leilah is in danger of knowledge or if he thinks she isn't mature enough to handle the news, he'll wait.
> 
> Anyway, I hope your day is going well today! I hope you amazing ordinary people are going to make your life extraordinary!


	37. Qiyana's Beginning

“Good morning, Leilah!” Qiyana yells in Demacian as she jumps on my stomach cheerfully. I groan from the impact.

“Good morning, Qiyana.” I mutter in Ixtali.

“Lessons again.” She pulls at my hand. Starshadow wriggles out from her hair with a churro in his mouth.

_ Well, you don’t sound like you’re about to swear at her again. _

_ That was one time! _

_ ‘Good morning’ in Ixtali isn’t that hard, yet somehow you almost propositioned yourself. _

_ Die in a hole.  _ I grunt in Mother’s tongue, one language that ticks Starshadow off like no tomorrow.

_ What is that language?  _

_ I told you, I don’t know the name of it. _

_ Well, you’re just going to bother me about it for all time. _

_ Stop waking me up with churros in your mouth. _

“Leilah! Flowers, please!” She demands, practicing Demacian. It’s been the same for the past three months. Qiyana would wake me up with a request that I put a few flowers in her hair. Her favorites seem to be Zychids and Spirit Blossoms, though she requests specific flowers when she’s going to practice an element, like fire lilies for fire elements or water lilies for water control. She likes to match the flower to her practice elements.

“What would you like today?” I ask. Having said the same phrase for months, I’m pretty fluent with that phrase.

“Green flowers!” She gestures to a little circlet around her head. I wave my hand and little green blossoms appear on her crown. She gestures to me urgently. I create an image of what she looks like with my magic. She tilts her head slightly. “Stones?”

“Emeralds, Qiyana. ...Emeralds.” Starshadow explains softly. She gestures to her hair again.

“Green Flower emeralds.” She demands. I raise an eyebrow. She remembers her manners. “Please.”

_ How should we give her emeralds? _

_ You are the girl, you have better style.  _ Starshadow slithers onto my arm. I wave my hand with an eye roll. The flowers melt into emeralds on her circlet. The middle stone reaches towards the sky and I form two more emeralds on either side of circlet, each one smaller than the other. A tiara that matches the queen’s. My illusions adjust accordingly. Qiyana stares at the image. Her eyes almost seem… shiny?

“Qiyana, what’s wrong?” I accidentally slip into Demacian. She looks at me confused before turning to Starshadow. Starshadow helpfully translates into Ixtali. She nods her head before replying.

_ Qiyana is the youngest of ten. She’s the last child to be able to wear the crown. Her sisters are all set to inherit the throne, but she’s...she’s so advanced in her studies. She’s practically at the same level as her middle sister now, more than capable of protecting her people. And the Empress, she doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to little Qiyana. She likes you for all the time you like to spend with her, but… _

“I’m not her mother. I’m just her friend.” I pull her into a hug and wash the illusion away. Qiyana looks like she wants to protest, but accepts my hug. “Starshadow, can you translate?”

_ Always. _

“You are amazing, Qiyana. Absolutely amazing.” I stroke her hair as Starshadow translates. “It’s a shame that your family can’t see it. I see it. You get better with your studies everyday. Don’t let people like your family stop you from being proud of yourself.” 

_ “But, why won’t my family recognize it?” _

“I don’t know. What I do know is that families should support each other. I’m sorry, Qiyana.”

_ “Can you be my family?”  _ Starshadow squawks when he realizes what he said and immediately engages a conversation with her. She pouts and whines.

“Woah, Starshadow! Let me answer!”

_ We’re gone for a really long time! We may never see her again. _

“Like Yone and Yasuo?” I ask pointedly. He grumbles a little bit.

_ That’s different. _

“How about that little girl in Bilgewater?”

_...You never got her name! _

“Sylas!”

_ … He did need someone to help him, but he walked away… _

“Oh, you are being difficult!”

_ No, I get your point, I just don’t like it. Fine. It’s not like I can change anything. She sees you like the best older sister ever… _

“Qiyana, sometimes family isn’t the people you share blood with. If you want me to be like your older sister, I’m happy to be. Just know that we won’t always be around.”

_ “But-” _

“Just because I’m not always around doesn’t mean I can’t be family. I’ve got two best friends in Targon that I haven’t seen in years, but I’m still proud of them, still their friend. Even if I’m not around, know that I’ll be proud of your accomplishments too, ok?” I pull her into another hug. She tightens her grip on me and just nods. I rub her back gently until her tears subside. She pulls away and wipes her cheeks.

_ “Are you sure it’s ok?” _

“Well, I’m supposed to be going into hell a lot of the time. It’s nice to have people I know to have my back. And having a friend in Ixaocan would certainly make my life easier.”

_ “I thought I am your sister?” _

“My bad. Having a sister in Ixaocan would certainly make my life easier. Better?”

_ “Much. Will you be at my lesson today? _ ”

“Always. Go on, I’ll be right behind you.” I gesture for her to leave. I just barely manage to get my feet on the ground when Qiyana opens her door. She freezes when two other girls, older and more regal than her, blocks the door. Starshadow slithers up my arm. We both sense a conflict is going to happen. Qiyana looks up to her sisters.

“Can I help you?” She asks. The elder of the two looks down at Qiyana...oddly. I’ve never seen that sort of face before. She shoves past Qiyana roughly before standing in front of me. The other girl follows. Qiyana looks a little hurt by them, remaining silent. They say something in Ixtal, but I don’t really care. I brush past them and wipe Qiyana’s tears away.

“You ok?” I ask. The girls behind me say something. Qiyana gives a soft smile and a nod before leaving. I turn around and cross my arms.

_ If I had arms, you would be looking like me so much right now.  _ Starshadow rises his head to the level of my eyes, his ruby eyes staring into their souls. The younger shifts a little bit while the older one stares right back.  _ Oh, she’s the first princess. _

_ How can you tell? _

_ She isn’t backing down. She’s used to people looking at her on even ground. Problem, it isn’t even ground. _

_ Why not? _

_ ‘Cause they want you to leave Qiyana to help them with their own studies.  _ Starshadow allows his tail to swing languidly.  _ If they want to talk to you, it better be in a language I don’t know. That’s not even including the fact that they don’t respect you enough to speak in the same language as you to ask. _

“Something like this?” I ask in my mother tongue. Starshadow glares at me.

_ Will you tell me what language it is???  _ I smirk at Starshadow’s discomfort.

“Naw.”

“Leilah.” The elder speaks up. I stop my conversation with Starshadow and look up. Starshadow presses my chin up. Instantly, the younger’s head dips.

_ What was that? _

_ It’s called body language. Turns out, if you have the right body language, others will respond accordingly. _

_ Who taught you that? _

_ Kusho and Shen. _

_ Wha- when did you have the time to learn that??? _

_ When you were asleep and Shen couldn’t. _

“...” The elder speaks in Ixtali. I don’t hear any words I would recognize. Starshadow snorts and replies.

“ _ If you’re going to order her to heal you every time you get a little boo boo, then at least speak in the language she knows. _ ” Starshadow helps me understand what’s being said. I almost laugh.

“Did she just order me to heal her little cuts? Qiyana has had broken ribs. I’m sure she needs me more than you do.” I roll my eyes at their behaviour. They sound like little kids that didn’t get what they wanted. We never had kids like that in Targon because, well, they would be disciplined real quick.

“ _ She is not even considered for the crown. You’d be helping the firstborn and heir learn her studies. _ ” Starshadow translates for me. I remain silent, pretending to not hear her.

“If you would actually speak a common language I’m sure we can actually have a conversation. I know you know Demacian as Qiyana has to learn it and your mother speaks it well.” I mock in Mother’s tongue. Starshadow makes an odd noise at the back of his throat, but remains quiet. She gestures to me. He speaks back, no translation this time. I might have deserved that.

“Leilah.” The eldest finally speaks Demacian. I uncross my arms and look at her expectantly.”You will help me in my studies. I am learning a new sequence, and I’d rather not lose my life for it.” 

“Why me?” I ask in Demacian.

“Because you seem to be quite proficient in the healing arts. My sister isn’t even working on difficult techniques. There’s no need to help a child like her.” The younger says.

“No thanks.” I wave them off. Starshadow keeps his eyes trained on them. They both tense. 

_ They did not- _

_ Like that, I can tell. _

“Why not? I am the crown princess.” The elder demands.

“And I’m an Aspect and host for a Darkin, as well as bonded to a celestial. Your point being?” I throw out my titles quickly. The younger looks to her sister for support. The elder has a blush on her face.

“It would be an honor-”

“I don’t care about honoring your majesty. I’m not going to help you.” I start to walk forward. The younger grabs my arm and holds me still.

“Why not?” She demands.

“The same reason you won’t be kind to your little sister. Because you decided that Qiyana is beneath you, you are beneath me.” I rip my arm out. My fingers tingle from the mild sting I gave the girl as I walk outside. 

“You will help the crown princess, by order of the Empress!” The eldest yells out. I stop walking. Qiyana stands outside, confused. Starshadow gives her a quick translation. She starts to cry. She runs to my legs and clutches them tightly.

“No. no, no, no.” She keeps switching between Ixtali and Demacian, like if I could understand what she’s saying, she would keep me. I pat her head.

“It’s ok, Qiyana.” I kneel down and wipe her tears away.

“So you will assist us in our studies?” Crown princess demands. I look back at her.

“I’m Targonian first, Aspect second, and Darkin last. I’m pretty sure none of those are a part of Ixtal. As such, I’m under no obligation to follow ‘orders of the Empress’.” I reply firmly. Starshadow translates for my little sister. She looks at me with wide eyes and hugs me tightly.

“You are her guest.” The second protests.

“So, as a guest, she has the right to demand exactly what I do?” I ask. “That’s very poor manners as a hostess. That’s one of the first things I’ve ever learned, treat your guests and family kindly. You never know when you may need them.” I scold them before offering my hand to Qiyana. Qiyana happily grabs it and pulls me to our usual study room.

_ Wow. I never expected you to have that level of sass in you.  _ Starshadow slithers down to Qiyana’s shoulders. 

_ That’s what happens when I’ve been stuck with you for almost three years. Besides, you’ve gotten mellow yourself. _

_ THAT’S A LIE! I am the greatest celestial that ever lived! _

_ Ego, Starshadow. _

“Thank you, Leilah.” Qiyana looks up at me with shining eyes. I smile and pat her head.

“I’d help anyone that needs it. To be honest, your older sisters sound like they just want what you have.” I try to say in Ixtali. Qiyana immediately starts to wave a finger in my face. Starshadow snickers.

_ I’d help anyone that needs it. To be idiotic, your older bitches sound like they just want your desserts. _ Starshadow unhelpfully tells me. I slap my hand to my forehead.

_ Why do bitches and sisters sound similar in Ixtali???  _

_ They don’t… _

“Sorry, Qiyana.”  _ Help me!  _ With Starshadow laughing in my head, I finally get the pronunciation right. She gives me a big hug and a giggle before pulling me to our lessons.  _ What’s the chance I won’t be reprimanded for this? _

_ Very slim. _

_ Thank you, you overgrown serpent… _

_ Want to know what’s even better? _

_ No, I really don’t. _

_ Hernando was listening.  _ Starshadow wraps his tail around me as he laughs. I look over my shoulder to see if he’s right. Hernando looks at me disapprovingly. I sigh and allow myself to be scolded in Demacian over using Ixtali words that I wasn’t sure how to use.

“Leilah!” The Empress calls for me. Qiyana was just finishing a set as she walks in. I look up from my writing of Ixtali words to see her flanked by the two daughters from this morning. Both look at me smugly. Starshadow raises his head before growing a little bit. If he was able to hide in my scarf, he’s basically become my scarf now. He coils onto my desk and waits expectantly.

“Yes, your highness?” I ask politely. She does not look amused.

“My daughters say that you offered them insult.” She stood over me. Starshadow’s tail reaches over and gently pats my hand without being seen. I take a deep breath.

“I would not do that without provocation, your majesty.” I keep my eyes locked on her. She raises an eyebrow.

“So you did offer them insult?”

“Perhaps you should ask Qiyana what else was said as she was there.” I offer. The elder speaks sharply. Starshadow’s head pulses into ridges slightly.

_ She’s claiming that you charmed Qiyana into following your thoughts.  _ Starshadow hisses furiously.

_ Don’t worry, Starshadow. I can handle spoiled brats. Geras was practice, afterall. _

_ If you’re sure… _

“Tell me this, your majesty, Did you ask Qiyana?”

“You have been her closest companion for the past few months. She’s going to cover for you.” The Empress dismisses. 

“So, your eldest daughters have been reporting to you for years about Qiyana’s skills and behaviour. Of course they’re going to cover for each other.” I snap.

“So you did offer them insult.”

“Not at all. All I did was point out their abysmal behaviour to their sister, looking at her like she was nothing.”

“Is this true?” The Empress whirls on her eldest. She shakes her head hastily.

“Allow me, your majesty.” I stand up and wave my hand. My magic conjures an illusion of my memory. Qiyana clings to my leg when she realizes what I’m displaying. Both girls behind the Empress pale slightly. The Empress watches as they speak in Ixtali, knowing that I can’t understand. When they hear their demands and use the ruler’s name, her nose flairs. She turns on them, switching to Ixtali. They both frantically shake their heads no.

“Yes, Mother.” Little Qiyana speaks up in Ixtali. The Empress looks at her youngest briefly before scolding her eldest two. They leave when she stops barking. She sighs and turns back to me.

“I apologize for my eldest. While it’s true that they are in line to inherit the throne, they have no discipline when asking for assistance. You were right to decline. I will be speaking to each of them about their punishment. Carry on.” She walks out of the room elegantly. I let out a deep breath and slump into a seat.

“Are you alright, Leilah?” My teacher asks. I nod.

“Just… I’ve stood up to bullies with stories and proof of their misdoings. Never have I had to stand up to a royal before.” I let out an uneasy laugh.

“You handled that rather well, I would say. The girls were clearly not expecting you to remember and display them. Yet, Qiyana doesn’t seem surprised…” The teacher glares at me slightly.

“...About that… Qiyana has taken to sneaking into my room at ungodly hours of the night and asking me to tell her stories or make images of her favorite items. I think she enjoys creating Wharf Rats just because it’ll terrify me.” I pat her head. Qiyana looks shyly at him. He chuckles and nods.

“That explains her sudden increase in comprehension. Keep up the good work. Now, back to your studies.” He dismisses Qiyana back to her session. Her teacher nods her head and shifts her stance. He watches them to make sure that they are absorbed into the lesson before turning to me. He stares at me for a long time

“What is it?” I finally ask.

“That educator from when she first started learning was executed.” He informs me. My face pales.

“What?”

“Injury to the princess of that degree shows that he was unfit to teach anyone, let alone a princess. He nearly killed her.” The teacher sounds… uneasy.

“But… That was an accident. It’s not worth such a response…” I murmur.

“I agree… This doesn’t leave this room.” He leans in slightly. Starshadow flicks his tail and a shimmer appears.

“No one is listening.” Starshadow informs us.

“I spoke to him in secret before he died. He told me that he was paid to sabotage Qiyana’s desire to learn the elements.” Silence rings in our space for a little while.

“...Someone didn’t want Qiyana to learn? Why?” I can’t help my mouth.

“I do not know, but with how the crown princess acted, I think I know who organized it.” The man looks directly into my eyes. I pale.

“...You think the crown princess is trying to sabotage her sister? Why?”

“Qiyana has always been a special child. I don’t know why Inessa would bother as the Empress pours all her love into the girl, but she’s been rather pushy around Qiyana. I mean, look at her natural skill.” He gestures to Qiyana. She’s already summoning water to her will, spinning around her as she concentrates.

“Isn’t that a complex technique?” I ask.

“One of the harder ones.” He responds just in time for Qiyana to throw water on everyone. My hair becomes soaked. Starshadow shakes all the water off on me.

“Sorry!” Qiyana yells in Demacian. Her teacher comes close and starts to demonstrate what went wrong. I start to wring out my scarf as Starshadow dries himself on my leggings.

“Better?” I ask him in Mother’s tongue, annoyed that he’s using me as his personal towel.

_ Will you at least tell me where that language comes from? _

“I already told you, I have no idea what part of the world my mother learned her language.” I switch back to Demacian.

“Back to the topic at hand, please?” The teacher interrupts. Starshadow finishes with one last rub against my leg before nodding to the man. “Can you help me get the elder two to stop trying to hurt the princess?”

“...I’m not sure I can. I’m still an outsider to them, and Qiyana… She has the skill to prove herself right. She just needs time to prove herself.”

“You’re going to let an innocent girl be bullied?” Teacher sounds a little outraged. He slams his hand on the table, startling us.

“I don’t plan on it. They already tried to force me to leave her. I told them off. They went to their Mother, she told them off. Honestly, they should leave me alone. As long as Qiyana stays nearby, I’m sure she’ll be ok too.” I try to calm him down.

“And when you’re gone?” He demands.

“She’ll be confident enough to stand up to them. She already is, isn’t she?” I ask.

“Well, I know before she would never have tried to speak up while her sisters are around. But what if she reverts back to her old habits of hiding when it’s just her?” He presses his hand against his head. I feel a little girl’s hand reach up and shake my shoulder. Qiyana’s golden eyes appear in front of me.

“What are you saying?” She whines. I pat her head.

“I know we talked about this, Qiyana, but do you remember that I’m not staying here permanently?” I start the conversation gently. Starshadow translates for me quickly. She keeps looking at me, understanding that I’m being serious. Qiyana pouts but nods. “Teacher is very concerned about you. He’s telling me that you were a very shy child before I came here.”

“ _ Shy? _ ” She asks.

“You didn’t talk much to people before, did you?”

“ _ No. Inessa and Mara didn’t like it when I tried to play with them. They’d yell at me for distracting them from their studies. One time, I grabbed their training ring while they were taking a break. I don’t know what happened, but they got really really mad. I stopped trying to talk to them after that… _ ” Qiyana ducks her head down, embarrassed.

_ She must have already been instinctively good at the elements, even without training.  _ Starshadow comments in my mind.

“Guess what?”

“ _ What? _ ”

“You spoke up to them today. And your Mother listened to you.” I gently pull her chin up. She takes a moment, but I can see her eyes light up when she realized what she did. I smile. “Now, Starshadow and I, we won’t always be around.”

“ _ Please don’t go! _ ” Qiyana wraps her tiny arms around my waist. I gently pat down her curls.

“I’m not planning on leaving today, or tomorrow, but sometime… Starshadow and I have to leave to help others. As a princess, you are born to a line that takes care of the people. Would you want to keep me to yourself if others need help?” I try to appeal to what her mother would be proud of.

“ _...No, but what about Inessa and Mara? _ ”

“You already spoke up to them. How did you feel?” I coax.

“ _...I… I felt better, but only because you were there to help me! Please don’t leave! _ ” Qiyana bawls in my scarf. I keep playing with her curls, hoping to calm her down. Once she stops crying and only sniffles are heard, I pull her away.

“Qiyana, I never pushed you to speak. You did that on your own. You don’t need me.” I wipe her tears away. “You’re stronger and smarter than you know. Just keep it up, ok?”

“ _...But what if things go back to the way they were? When they were mean to me everyday? _ ”

“Well, you’ve already stood up for yourself once. It’s the first time that’s the hardest, but you’ve already done it.”

“ _ I have? _ ”

“Yep.”

“ _ Really? _ ” Qiyana sounds a little bit happier. Her gold eyes look at me with so much hope that it almost hurts me that a little girl would feel something like that.

“I want you to promise me that you will do your best to make sure that they will listen to you, ok?”

“ _ I promise. Thank you, Leilah. _ ”

“You’ll be great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I guess I have a little explaining to do. In her bio, Qiyana was always determined to be worthy of her families attention, to be worthy of the crown. To me, as a child, she would have been neglected a bit for this level of desire to rise. Not physical, emotional. She sees her sisters practicing and the Empress paying attention to them. I doubt the Empress is truly neglectful, but come on, ten girls? Someone is going to be neglected. She also rules a country, so I also don't think she's in charge of discipline of her children much either. As a result, the eldest would have grown up spoiled a little bit. Little Qiyana already able to call the elements from a touch would have infuriated her, so she does her best to make Qiyana not want to learn the elements. Unfortunately, with Leilah or not, Qiyana's drive to get her mother's approval is stronger than her sister's bullying habits. It's just here, with Leilah, She knows what it's like to have someone be proud of her and care for her, so Leilah accidently made that drive so much stronger.
> 
> I only wrote that to stave off comments like 'why did they do that?' and stuff like that. It also explains why Qiyana, when she fought her sister, permenantly disabled her, so Inessa would never be able to walk or use her magic again. It's a show of dominance and that she is just as capable of protecting her people as her mother, not Inessa.
> 
> Anyway, You guys are amazing. I hope you guys have an extraordinary day!


	38. Qiyana's Confidence

I wake up and stretch my arms. For the first time in the four months I’ve been here, I’m up before little miss troublemaker got to me. I’m honestly a little bit happy about it as my poor stomach can’t possibly handle any more abuse. As I clamor out of bed, Qiyana peaks her head into my room. She pouts when she sees me up, but still gestures for someone. She opens the door to let a servant bring in a plate of Starshadow’s favorite Ixtal food, churros. The servant places the plate next to my bed. I mouth thank you to her as she leaves while rolling my eyes affectionately at my snake. I know his reaction. I swear, he’s mildly obsessed with them. It’s not like it’s the end of the world if he doesn’t have them…

“Good morning, Leilah!” She chirps. Starshadow sleepily lifts his head up from my pillows and yawns. I see his nose twitch before he attempts to shoot off and dive into the plate. Thankfully, I manage to catch him with my magic before he gets too far.

“What do you think you're doing?” I yawn as I take a chocolate covered churro. Starshadow whines his displeasure as he watches me take the first bite.

_ Give me my churro! You know I love the fruity ones! _

“Then it’s a good thing it’s not fruity. It’s chocolate.” I take another bite. Qiyana takes a bite out of her spicy one. She smiles happily as I swear her mouth burns. Crazy child.

_ Oh. Why did you catch me again? _

“Today’s the day that Qiyana displays her abilities to her mother, remember?”

_ That’s not why you caught me. _

“I don’t want you too hyper from the sugar.”

_ I’m not going to eat that much!  _

“Last time you got to the churros before Leilah could stop you, you ate twelve of them in one gulp. You ran around the palace so fast Mother thought a monster got in.” Qiyana speaks up. Her Demacian has improved greatly, just like my Ixtali. We can hold a simple conversation, but we can’t exactly talk about complex topics yet.

“She’s going to be performing at two, I can have a few churros!” Starshadow protests. I grab a fruit churro and hand it to him. He, surprisingly, eats them slowly. I guess my face didn’t do such a good job of hiding my shock. “I am capable of manners.”

“Could have fooled me.” I grumble. Starshadow sticks out his tongue before taking another bite. I roll my eyes and turn back to Qiyana. She’s surprisingly quiet. Never before has she been this calm or nervous. It might also be why she didn’t wake me up this morning. “Something wrong?”

Qiyana shakes her head no before looking at the ground. Starshadow and I share a look. We know that something’s bothering her.

_ Qiyana, we aren’t going to be mad if you want to say something.  _ Starshadow speaks in her native language, hoping that she’ll reach out to us. She looks up at us with tears in her eyes.

“ _ Leilah, I don’t think I can do it. _ ” She plays with her curls. Starshadow head jerks slightly at the action.

_ That’s the first time I’ve seen her do that. I think she’s picking up your bad habits. _ Starshadow unhelpfully comments.

“Why don’t you think you can perform?” I gesture to the girl to sit next to me while dutifully ignoring him. She quickly crawls up and sits close by. She immediately curls her head into my chest. I gently pat her back.

“ _ Because I still haven’t mastered that newest technique. I’ll get hurt and my sisters will say something mean and-” _

“Woah, slow down, Qiyana. That’s a lot of worries for one so small.” I gently rub her back. She actually starts to tremble in my arms. Starshadow squirms his way to Qiyana’s lap. When she turns to look at him, he looks up with his mouth covered in pink frosting. I feel Qiyana’s chest flinch with a soft laugh.

_ You’ll do fine, you silly child. As I recall, you forgot to step forward in practice. A small mistake. Besides, from what I hear, your sisters didn’t even give their first performance until well into their training. Months? They wish they were as skilled as you or Leilah. _

“Don’t go bringing me into this!” I protest.

_ What? You’re my bonded. And you’re starting to become more and more worthy of being the mortal that’s bonded to me. _

“I think the frostings got to your brain, snake.” I tease. Qiyana giggles as she watches our usual banter, even if she can’t understand us. It’s our tone that she recognizes as teasing. Her shoulders start to relax.

“ _ Leilah? _ ” Qiyana speaks up. I look at her.

“Yes?”

“ _ How do you handle people having such high expectations of you? _ ” 

“Well, it’s hard to say. There was a monastery that I stayed at for a little bit, they wanted me to learn how to fight. It didn’t fit me, so I just learned how to be me. At this point, I don’t care much for what others think of me. The only person that really gives me feedback is Starshadow, and you know how he is.”

“ _ A big bossy handsome serpent. _ ” Starshadow’s chin rises happily before giving me a small glare. 

_ What do you mean bossy? _

“What other people that you don’t care about think, that doesn’t matter. What matters is who you want to care about you and what you think. It doesn’t matter if you fall on your face and accidentally break your leg, I’m proud of you anyway.” I stifle my amusement as Starshadow continues to demand how he can be described as negative.

_ Bossy? BOSSY? Try looking out for you. _

“ _ Really? _ ” 

“ _ I saw your lessons. You are doing well. _ ” I say in Ixtali. She beams before going back to the plate and grabbing a few more churros. She has a bit of a mischievous glint in her eye as she hands Starshadow another fruity churro, this one yellow. I snag it from her hands. Her eyes widen and she desperately tries to take it back. That just confirms my suspicions that the churro she was going to give Starshadow was spiked.

_ What’s the big idea, Leilah? You like the chocolate ones! Gimme my lemony goodness!  _ Starshadow adds his protests in. I pull off a little bit and take a bite. Immediately my entire face scrunches from the overwhelming citric taste in it.

_ She spiked it!  _ I yelp in my head. Starshadow starts to roll on the bed, laughing his head off. I try to glare through my tears at my snake. The appreciation for saving his mouth from this overwhelming sourness is lacking. Qiyana pouts.

“ _ There’s one for you and me too. _ ” Qiyana mutters. I blink and smirk.

“ _ Which one is mine?”  _ I whisper to her. She beams and grabs a seemingly innocent chocolate churro. I manage to sneak a little bite past Starshadow’s gaping mouth. He chokes on it a bit before he practically coils in a circle.

_ Give me the damn sour Churro! It’s better than all this bitterness! Where’s the sugar!  _ Starshadow wails. I laugh before looking at Qiyana. She sighs and takes a bite. Apparently, it’s super spicy as her entire face turns bright red. When her lips start to get puffy, I touch her lips and let my magic pour forth. She sighs in relief as the swelling goes down. She starts to laugh afterwards. Starshadow straightens out before eyeing the churros left.  _ How many spiked churros are left? _

For the rest of the morning, We had fun picking out churros, trying to decide if they were good churros or bad ones. Qiyana is well and truly relaxed when the Empress sneaks into our room. I’m waving my hands at my face, trying to cool myself down from eating a spicy churro while Qiyana and Starshadow are laughing on the ground. I hold back my magic so Qiyana could enjoy herself more. The pain is almost worth it to see her so happy.

“So this is how you’ve been spending your morning, Qiyana? From what I’ve heard, you aren’t nearly ready to perform. You should be practicing.” The Empress scolds. Qiyana instantly gets on her feet.

“ _ Sorry, Mother. I’m going. _ ” She starts to move out. I hold my arm in front of her and look at the Empress evenly. She raises an eyebrow at my boldness.

“Nerves have never helped any perform better. If it takes the morning to get her to relax before we go over her routine, then we will take the morning being silly.” I state. The Empress’s chin raises a bit as she stalks forward.

“I tolerated you because of your uniqueness and your connection to one of the greatest people to have ever existed. I will not tolerate you attempting to mother my child.” She snaps. I raise an eyebrow.

“With all due respect, you have ten children, your highness. Even if you weren’t a ruler and you had all the time of the day, you would not be able to spend them all with every child and give them the affection they need.” I move slightly away from Qiyana, as the Empress does not look pleased with Qiyana’s adoration of me.

_ You have become very ballsy in the past few months.  _ Starshadow comments in my mind as he slithers up to my neck. He clearly looks at her though, supporting me.

_ It’s not for me, Starshadow.  _ I stare at the Empress directly in her eyes.

“What makes you think that you know better than I about what my daughter needs?” The Empress snaps.

“What’s her favorite flavor churro?” I ask out of the blue. She starts a little bit.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What’s her favorite flavor of churro?” I repeat. She starts before looking at the three different flavors.

“Chocolate.” The Empress answers. Qiyana’s face drops. I want to comfort her, but the Empress is already on edge. She clearly thinks that I’m trying to take her daughter from her.

“ _ Chili. _ ” Qiyana whispers. The Empress blinks in surprise.

“ _ No, I’ve had churro parties with you. You always enjoyed chocolate. _ ” Starshadow translates for me.

“ _ Mother, we never had a churro party. You did that with Inessa before I was born... _ ” Qiyana scuffs her toe against the ground. The Empress sputters a bit.

“ _ How do you know that? _ ”

“ _ Inessa liked to brag about how she got to have churro parties with you before Leilah came here. _ ” Qiyana starts to walk towards me for comfort. I flick my hand, holding her in place. Even if the Empress is distracted, I have no desire to remind her of her grievances with me yet. She looks at me pleadingly, begging me to let her come to me.

_ You’re crying.  _ Starshadow wipes a tear from my cheek. 

_ She can’t look to me right now. The Empress is already on edge thinking I’m taking her daughter. What’s she going to think when Qiyana chooses me over her?  _ I feel my heart break as Qiyana turns back to her Mother. I feel her tremble in my grasp.

“ _ I… I had no idea… I’m sorry… _ ” The Empress takes stiff steps to her daughter. She kneels before the girl and pats her head before looking at me. “Continue what you were doing.”

“Yes, your majesty.” I bow my head slightly. She stands up and leaves. I let go of my magic. Qiyana immediately runs to me. I hug her close as she cries into my dress.

“ _ Why didn’t you let me come to you? _ ” She wails.

“As much as I wanted you to, your mother was mad. She’s mad that you look more to me than you do to her. I was worried you would be hurt more if your Mother lashed out.” I murmur into her head. Starshadow says something to her as well. It’s longer, but in the end, it seems like Qiyana understands why we did what we did. She just clutches me tighter. I rub her back until her sobs become sniffles. I kneel down to look her in the eye, “What do you want to do now?” 

“ _ Practice. I want to make Mother proud. _ ” She leaves with the plate of churros. Right as she turns a corner, she sneaks a bite and her face scrunches from the overwhelming lemon.

_ She’s lying.  _ Starshadow murmurs in my mind.

“What do you mean?”

_ It’s not her Mother she wants to be proud of her, it’s you. _

“Miss Leilah. The Empress has requested that you follow me.” Hernando knocks on my door. I finish brushing my bed head to a smooth silky feeling. Starshadow taps the top of my head. I feel my hair almost fold and twist itself into a tight, clean knot. Looking into a mirror, Starshadow has twisted my hair so there was a crown of stars in my hair, while braids extend to the knot at the back of my head. I look like royalty.

“What’s this for?” I ask, reaching up to touch my hair. Starshadow smacks my hand.

_ Qiyana asked me to make you identifiable, while also presentable to the Empress. I think this would do nicely.  _ Starshadow inspects my hair. I roll my eyes and wave the crown of stars away, leaving two green flowers right above my ears.  _ Hey! _

“I’m not upstaging the Empress, Starshadow. She's performing for her mother, not me. Besides, I’m not a royal.” I retort.

_ Officially she is, but she’s also performing for you. You know how much that girl looks up to you. And, quite frankly, you are one of a kind. You should have a tiara. _

“I’ve seen her practice for months. How different can a performance be?”

_ Seriously? Have you never performed anything? You made great arguments for keeping her in the morning. You were a child like five years ago! _

“My village was at the bottom of a mountain. Some climbers were performers. They told us tips on how to act and stuff, even if I don’t really use them. Other than that, we played games and farmed. I have no personal experience with performances.” I protest. Starshadow huffs before rolling his head.

_ You never performed.  _ Starshadow scoffs.  _ Don’t lie, Leilah. You performed when we were hunting for Jhin. _

“That wasn’t performing, that was practicing and helping.”

_ Well, you practiced in front of everyone then, not to mention your performance on Mount Targon. _

“I was more concerned about stopping Jhin from killing more people. I didn’t care what others thought of! And I didn’t know that celestials enjoyed watching people climb to choose until I got to the top.”

_ Zoe telling you someone was waiting for you, didn’t set off any ‘oh, I’m being watched’ vibes? _

“Should it? The stars watch over us as we sleep, after all.”

_...You would make an excellent performer since you apparently are incapable of stage fright. _

“Back to the point, Starshadow.”

_ She’s nervous that she’ll get it wrong. She’s under a lot of pressure to show that she can do what her sisters can do, not to mention prove she is worthy of being a princess and worthy of your pride in her. _

“Oh…”

_ Yeah. Oh. _

“But-”

_ No buts! Now get your ass out into the throne room. The Empress is waiting.  _ Starshadow pushes me towards the door. When I finally do move, he slithers up to my neck. I reach up to free my hair when Starshadow smacks his tail against my hand much harder than before. We both wince at the mild sting.

“Jerk.” I mutter. I can feel Starshadow’s smirk as I step outside my room.

“Lady Leilah.” Hernando bows his head as he offers his arm. I blink at the formality of it.

_ You’re the guest of the Empress on an important event. It’s why I fixed your hair, ungrateful brat. Speaking of…  _ Starshadow taps my dress. My scarf becomes more translucent as the back of my dress extends to the ground. My leggings become smooth and my boots change into small flats.  _ Much better. _

“I really don’t need all this, Starshadow.” I attempt to change it back when Starshadow once again slaps my hand.

_ Leave it. You need to fit in, become worthy of being a guest of the Empress. Now take his arm.  _ Starshadow instructs. I take his arm gently and allow him to guide me to the throne room.

It’s just as luminous as regal as the first time I saw it. Nine princesses, decreasing in age, are seated on the left and right of the Empress. One seat remains open on the Empress’s left side. They stand as one while the Empress remains seated. I give a small… Starshadow called it a curtsy. Well, he demanded that I nod my head and I lean forward and place one foot behind the other with a soft bend in my knees, then told me what I was doing. I really need to ask him how he learned these actions. The Empress nods her head before gesturing to the open seat. I take sure, even steps. Starshadow is instructing me in my mind how to walk.

_ Even, heel to toe- _

_ I know how to walk! How did you even learn this stuff? _

_ It’s Qiyana’s first performance! Everything must be perfect! And you think you were the only one with lessons? _

_...Know I only do this because you and Qiyana.  _ I grumble as I sit down. Starshadow’s tail presses against the center of my back.  _ Quit it. _

_ Perfection! _

_ You sound like Jhin. _

_ Back straight! And he was an artist. A bad one, but he still recognized true beauty when he saw it.  _ Starshadow persists. I let out an inaudible sigh and straighten my back.  _ Much better. _

“Presenting Qiyana.” The throne room zooms out of view as Qiyana, in an adorable sea green outfit, steps forward with her ring. Her eyes glance around frantically before they focus on me. Her shoulders drop as she lets out an imperceptible breath and poses. She takes a deep breath before she starts to spin. The ground under her feet instantly responds. It shifts and pulses when she leaps into the air. I remember this is the one part of her practice that she struggles with. Leaping into the air and conjuring water to catch her fall. Every time she’s done so, she struggles with controlling the element she didn’t have contact with before. If she falls, she’s going to have another sprained ankle. It’s not like it’s horrible as I’m nearby, but she’s proving that she has the skill.

She spins her ring around swiftly below her, and a pool of water appears under her. She lands with a small splash before rolling to her feet. She takes that extra step Starshadow talked to her about to prevent her ankle from rolling. I can see the glee in her eyes as she continues the rest of her routine, a little extra hip wiggle from her excitement. I do my best to not clap my hands, but there’s a clear smile on my face. The rest of her display of mastery is flawless, with her spinning rings of fire and air together, a tornado of supporting her leaps, and the earth molding into her own personal gymnasium. She’s almost hypnotizing as she twirls, flips, and darts around. She ends her performance balancing on the ring in a handstand. 

_ Wow. That was amazing. Definitely impressive use of fire and spins. She was always a spitfire.  _ Starshadow taps his tail against my shoulder to applaud her. I nod in agreement. The Empress stands up and kneels before the panting child. Qiyana looks up at her mother, her face still.

“You did well, child.” The Empress pats her head. The other princesses rise. I follow their lead and stand up as well. They walk forward to stand behind the Empress, blocking my view of her. I feel my magic pull at my core. I glance down to see shadows pooling at my feet.

_ Worst… timing… ever. Can’t we at least congratulate her?  _ Starshadow grumbles. I quickly run forward and push past her family. Inessa protests as I push her to the side. Qiyana immediately turns her attention to me. She sees the shadows at my feet and tries to scream. I yank her into a tight hug. The Empress has thin lips, but I ignore it.

“Do your best Qiyana. You’ll be amazing. Just keep being you.” I manage to get the words out as the shadows fly up my body. I let go of her as the shadows crawl up my neck. The last thing I see before I teleport is Qiyana reaching for me with tears in her eyes.

_ COLD COLD COLD!  _ Starshadow screams in my head. I hug myself tightly and will my magic to change my clothes. My dress becomes much thicker. I feel a hood develop on it and quickly pull it up. My flats become thick furred boots as my leggings melt into thick pants. My scarf becomes thick and itchy, but warm. I almost sigh into the sudden warmth in my body. Starshadow moans as he huddles into my neck.

“Starshadow!” I shriek from his cold scales brushing against my neck. I feel a soft pull from my magic and his body is no longer freezing.

_ Oops. Sorry. I’ll warm up on your skin without you feeling it.  _ Starshadow dismisses the fact that he’s making me believe that he’s warm just to get his own way. I roll my eyes but let it be. I’d rather think that he’s warm than feel his actual scales.

“Where are we?” I ask. I start to take steps, but it’s exhausting. There’s still quite a bit of snow here.

_ If I had to guess, the Freljord. I don’t know any other place that has this much snow. _

“Targon has snow.”

_ Not this thick.  _ Starshadow snorts. I yelp as I trip over a root I didn’t see and faceplant. I spit cold snow out and turn around onto my back.

“Who are you?” An older female voice barks. I sit up straight. Starshadow’s body tenses as well. A huge woman with white hair and two weapons in her hands. She points a spear at me while raising an axe up high. Both weapons are glowing an eerie blue. I hold up my hands. She glares at me with suspicion in her eyes. “How did you do that shadow trick?”

“I’m Leilah, it’s a part of my magic.” I explain quickly. She moves forward aggressively.

“That magic, is it Lissandra’s?” She snaps.

“Who’s Lissandra?” I ask, afraid.

“Do not lie! You are trying to kill us, aren’t you?” She snaps. 

“No! I just got here!” I protest, but it’s too late. Her spear pierces my palm before I can react. Immediately, my head feels dizzy, like I’m sick. My head lands against the snow with a soft thud.  _ My head. _

_ Leilah!  _ The last thing I hear in my head is him screaming my name as the woman picks me up. She says something while Starshadow continues to yell in my mind. I have enough time to see the wound pulse an icy blue and my hand slowly turn to ice before my eyes close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap for Qiyana! If it's a little difficult to see what Leilah did for her, I'm just going to say down here. Qiyana gained the confidence in herself to work for her family's approval. This performance sealed that she was entirely capable of it. She's learned how to be confident, to get her family's respect. That's not saying that Qiyana will keep it, but now she has the confidence to go for that respect. Not sure if it's a good thing (If you know Qiyana's lore, don't say anything!)
> 
> Leilah's now on the opposite side of Runeterra, from the warm humid jungles to the ice of the Freljord. Good news, it's going to get warmer. Wonder who she has to help this time? (No spoilers!) As Always, I hope you guys have an extraordinary day because you are in it!.


	39. Understanding Healing

_ “ _ **_You don’t deserve my power!_ ** _ ” Daamien snarls in my face. I jump. _

_ “What did I do?” I feel very confused. Daamien is not the most predictable of people. He’s not a bad person, he’s just… lost. And, apparently, I’ve done something that ticked him off enough to lash out at me. _

_ “ _ **_Why do you put yourself in these situations?_ ** _ ” He towers over me. His arm flies out and slams into my chest. I go flying into the river. The lights splash around me as I land. “ _ **_You have magic that can force people to get away from you!_ ** _ ” _

_ “Again, what did I do?” I trudge out of the river, completely dry. _

_ “ _ **_How you managed to get cursed by True Ice, I’ll never know._ ** _ ” _

_ “What’s that?” _

Freljordian magic. It freezes the target completely. Anyone who can wield it has an incredible tolerance to the magic. Unfortunately-  _ Aurora starts. _

_ “We don’t have such a tolerance. Great. How do we handle the curse?” I look to my constant companion. _

_ “ _ Don’t look at me. Neither Aurora and I are equipped to be healers. The only one of us that could be remotely helpful is currently the one that’s also going a little bit… _ ” Starshadow looks at Daamien. There’s something in his eyes that practically screams ‘why do we need the insane one’... I really don’t know how else to describe it. “ _ Daamien, why can’t you heal it? _ ” _

_ “ _ **_I’m sorry, I’m a failure. I failed, I failed, I failed._ ** _ ” Daamien almost seems to ignore what else is happening now in favor of berating himself. It seems like Daamien is reverting back to his old behaviour. The red ridges on his body glow and sharpen. My fingers start to shift, growing the same ridges as his. _

_ “Daamien, you’re not a failure.” I try to remain calm to help him. _

_ “ _ **_I am. I failed to save my people. They’re afraid of me._ ** _ ” He huddles in a corner. I kneel before him and place a hand on his shoulder. His body flairs and starts to crawl up my arm. Starshadow makes a move when I give a hiss of pain. Aurora stops him. _

_ “ _ Aurora? _ ” _

She needs to do this, Starshadow. She helped snap him out last time, she can do it again. We need him focused and right here if we’re going to save her.  _ Aurora comments.  _ Besides, we need to learn how to help Daamien when he gets like this.

_ “ _ I can always just pull her back from death. _ ” _

That is never a guarantee. You were lucky that time. 

_ “Can you guys be quiet? Trying to help a Darkin now.” I grunt out. The power in his body creeps up, burning my arm inside out. Daamien screams and pulls away, taking away the burning sensation as well. I take a deep breath and look at my claws on my right arm. They pulsate angrily, but they don’t hurt anymore. Even better, Daamien notices my arm and takes a deep breath. The cracks cool down and smooth out, but they don’t leave. “Daamien, you’re not a failure.” _

_ “ _ **_I failed. I failed, I hurt you._ ** _ ” Daamien whimpers like a child. _

_ “It’s ok, Daamien. You stopped hurting me. That’s a good thing.” I try to sooth him. _

_ “ _ **_I hurt you. I broke my vow. I’m going back to no senses. No!_ ** _ ” Damien lashes out violently, the cracks spreading up to my shoulder now. I wince as the fire flows sharply with the growing ridges. _

_ “Daamien, Daamien!” I try to keep his attention focused on me. _

_“_ ** _My commander was right. The world should burn!_** _” He gets angrier. Even with my touch, he refuses to calm down. He’s furious. “_ ** _You should die. The Aspects, the Ascended, everything should die!_** _”_ _  
__“Daamien, we’re your friends! An Aspect, a human, a celestial! We want to help! You don’t want us to die, do you?”_

_ “ _ **_The world will burn! They deserve it all!_ ** _ ” Daamien keeps chanting. He ignores the pain as the cracks slip up to my neck. I keep trying to calm him down, but when the burning spreads up to my face and my waist, I can’t stay calm. My arm isn’t responding to what I want it to do anymore. _

_ “That’s it!” I slap Daamien hard across the face. We both flinch from the pain, but Daamien’s eyes are able to refocus on me. “Sorry for the slap, but I need you in the here and now. I don’t have enough time to go into your mind and pull you out. I told you, it’s going to be hard, almost impossible, but you have to keep trying.” I stare into Daamien’s cracked eyes. They refocus on me. He nods. _

_ “ _ **_Apologies. You’re right. We need to save your life._ ** _ ” Daamien stands. I finally look at my mindscape and I gasp. The light flow is slowly turning to ice. It resembles the country we are currently. That little bit of time I took to bring Daamien back to his senses have turned my mind into a blizzard. _

_ “Is that what is affecting my cut?” I ask quietly. _

_ “ _ **_Yes. Freljordian magic. I’ve never actually encountered it before. I’ve only had to heal wounds with void stuff in them._ ** _ ” _

_ “Void stuff?” _

_ “ _ **_Not important right now. My magic is currently the only thing that is keeping that from killing you. I can’t even touch the cut because there’s just too much magic for me to conquer and heal you at the same time. Irritating._ ** _ “ _

_ “What do we do?” _

_ “ _ **_Can you beat the ice back? That’s the most dire threat to us. Well, besides the crazy white haired lady that was more than happy to try to kill you. Who does that as soon as they meet someone?_ ** _ ” Daamien takes charge. I nod and try a little bit of light magic to hold it back. The ice swarms over it. Starshadow touches his nose to it and it immediately gets covered in frost. He pulls back as quickly as he can, sneezing snow out of his nose. Aurora looks frightened, not even trying to help. I get why. She just saw me use her magic and it did nothing. There’s no point in trying to throw more precious magic that has already been tested. _

_ “We can’t stop it that way! New plan.” I turn my head to him. “How did you heal magic wounds before?” _

_ “ _ **_I pushed the magic in the wounds outside. My magic would mimic the invading one and cover the healthy body while gently pushing the offensive magic out. It’s like I make a bag of white cells and pluck them out._ ** _ ” _

_ “A bag of what?” I ask. Daamien sighs. _

_ “ _ **_If you’re going to wield my powers, you're going to learn the science behind them. My magic would pull the offending magic out by using itself against it._ ** _ ” _

_ “Ok, so why can’t you mimic this one?” _

_ “ _ **_Are you kidding me? I need time to analyze and create the magic personally! It takes a lot of time to figure out what the magic is, then to mold my magic into the same thing and shoving it back. Void magic is easy at this point because of centuries of fighting it._ ** _ ” _

_ “Why not just let Aurora mask your magic so that-” I point at the wall of ice creeping closer “-thinks that it would fight itself and you can shove it out?” I ask. Daamien and Aurora both blink at me. _

It might work.  _ Aurora comments. Daamien nods his head. _

_ “ _ **_Starshadow, Leilah, we may need you to boost us with your magic. Can you do that?_ ** _ ” _

_ “Easily.” Starshadow speaks up for both of us. I nod with him. _

_ “Let’s try it!” I yell and throw a hand out towards my slowly freezing mind. The river responds, moving quickly to splash against the ice. Shadows from Daamien’s hole respond to the darkin as he summons his magic to stop the True Ice. Aurora changes the appearance of our magics to Ice. My magic collides into the ice. I feel the magic try to fight me, but the Ice doesn't immediately take over my own. I see Daamien calling forth his more aggressive form. His arms change from black and red to ice as Aurora casts her magic to assist us. He slams them into the magic currently trying to take over my body. The Ice groans, bending under our will, but not giving in. _

_ “Daamien!” I grunt. _

_ “ _ **_Starshadow, a little help?_ ** _ ” Starshadow’s large body whips past me and slams into the ice. Aurora’s form flares as she seems to change Starshadow’s body into ice. Between the three of us, the True Ice falters. We start to push the magic back. I feel a little bit of hope spark in my chest, but not for long. As Starshadow has unhelpfully pointed out to me before, I’m still rather new and weak to magic. I exhaust myself quickly because of it. _

_ Even when we’ve used all the magic I have, the Ice refuses to leave. I fall to my knees, feeling exhausted. I grit my teeth, being just as stubborn as our opponent. I feel a little bit of a spark in my soul and stand with a scream, pouring in the last of my magic and giving it to Daamien and Starshadow. Daamien surges forward. _

_ “ _ **_LEAVE!_ ** _ ” Daamien orders as the ice slowly but surely disappears. The moment it does, I drop my hands to my knees and pant. It blurs for a moment before it stabilizes. “ _ **_We did it._ ** _ ” _

Excellent plan, Leilah. I’m only sorry it took us so long to figure it out. You are still new to the intricacies of healing. Maybe you should get something to eat? _ Aurora brushes my hair back. I wave off her mothering. _

_ “Why can’t we do this in real life? Where you come and help us?” I ask. _

_ “ _ **_Your body wouldn’t handle it. We are the cause of your magic. Us leaving would cause your body to go into shock from growing a new vital organ and suddenly losing it. And neither of us want to leave your mind. We truly enjoy being here._ ** _ ” _

_ “Will you ever?” _

If the heavens come down and unite against a common foe, we may appear. After all, if they, of all people, come down personally, it’s not a good thing.

_ “ _ **_Or if you require the assistance of a Darkin. I truly hope I won’t have to do that often._ ** _ ” _

_ “Ok. Thank you for your help.” _

No, Leilah. Thank you for your creativity. I believe you just saved us. _ Aurora bestows a kiss on my head. My mindscape disappears in a blinding light. _

My eyes slowly open. I glance at my hand where I was nicked. There is a slight blue color to the cut, but it’s rapidly fading. I let out a breath of relief and struggle weakly against my captor. She drops me on the ground. I groan from the impact. When I try to get onto my feet, she places one on my back. I’m pinned down.

“Who are you and how did you manage to control the power of True Ice? You are not one of the Iceborn.” The woman demands. Starshadow growls as he escapes my scarf and takes my magic. I’m rendered helpless as Starshadow’s coils are large enough to encompass my entire body. If I had the energy, I would have been shocked by Starshadow’s new size.  _ Didn’t we use all the magic? _

_ I have stores for just this reason. For when you aren’t strong enough, though I tend to make sure that it’s only a small percentage of your core. You’ve definitely gotten stronger. _

_ Is that why I’m awake? Because you’re giving me back magic? _

_ Yep. Now hush. Try to stay awake.  _ Starshadow orders.

_ Rude.  _ I think and relax. Starshadow will take care of me.

“BACK OFF!” Starshadow snarls, baring fangs that I’m sure I’ve never seen before as he lashes out at her. She immediately backs away, going into a defensive position. Starshadow’s head cracks into bright red ridges with absolute fury. His neck seems to widen a bit. His tail sneaks under my waist and pulls me completely behind him. That’s all I can see before my eyes close against my will. “She already answered you! She’s Leilah, a champion for the Aspect of Hope-”

_ Not Hope… _

“-OK, maybe not Hope, but she’s a champion of the stars. She’s a healer, an illusionist and, most importantly, my best damn friend! And you are attempting to kill her without getting to know her.!” Starshadow snaps.

“And why should I believe the word of a snake?” She barks.

“What reason would I have to lie? If I wanted to lie, I’d say she’s a defect from one of the other villages here!” Starshadow retorts. His tail twists me into a ball, absolutely furious. He’s squeezing me around my middle a bit too tightly.

“Tell me exactly who you are!” She screams. “Who do you believe in? Who do you follow!”

“Pantheon!” I cry out as strongly as I can. I sense Starshadow’s new hood shrinks a little bit. He also eases up on pulling our magic. I can open my eyes a little bit. With all my strength, I look her in her eyes. “Pantheon. He’s the one I believe in. He’s my idol, my inspiration. I don’t know this Lissandra person. I was born and raised in Targon. Please, believe me.”

“... You are a frost priest?” She lowers her weapons. Starshadow eases as well.

“No, she’s a healer. Much better than your so-called frost priests.” Starshadow scoffs. I start to tremble in Starshadow’s coils. His tail quickly finds my forehead. He shrinks down, slithering back into my scarf.  _ Sorry, you just healed yourself of a curse and that little bit of magic I gave you isn’t enough to keep me that big without you passing out. On the plus side, healers are well renown and respected. She shouldn’t be trying to kill you anymore. Also, cold. _

_ AH! STARSHADOW!  _ I screech in my head as Starshadow’s freezing cold scales press against my neck. Outside of our mental conversation, I only give a soft groan.

“How old are you, child?” The woman puts away her weapons and kneels in front of me. Starshadow’s head peaks out, a soft flair of agitation in his neck.

“E-e-eighteen, Ma’am.” I stutter out. My hands shake a little bit. My eyes feel so heavy.

“Only a child?” She asks. I think she turns to my neck. Starshadow says something, but I’m just so tired. My eyes feel so heavy. I seem to blink and my world changes. From being outside in the snow to being in a warm, comfortable bed. My body aches something fierce. It’s not as bad as when I healed Qiyana, but it’s pretty darn close. I groan and try my best to sit up. My fingers on my right hand feel like they’re wrapped in something. I try to unwrap them.

_ Not a good idea, Leilah. We really drained you, from healing and from me taking your magic to help me grow. You passed out right when I started to negotiate our safety with the Warmother Grena. You’ve been out for… four days? Five? Their frost priests… not bad, but they aren’t as efficient as you are. Also, Hot coffee… I need more.  _ Starshadow fills me in. I look over to see Starshadow curled around a cup. His face is practically in the steam. It smells quite strong and bitter. I wrinkle my nose.

“What is that stuff?” I rasp.

_ Coffee. Glorious stuff. I need more.  _ Starshadow repeats himself as he takes a sip. I hear him smack his lips.  _ Delicious. _

“Would they happen to have tea?” I ask.

_ You’ve been in Ionia too long. Tea is bland. Coffee… it’s fit for celestials. _

“Mom, she’s awake!” A young teenager calls. The little blonde haired blue eyed sweetheart walks into my room with a tray in her hands. I can smell the soup inside and my stomach growls something fierce. I blush from the noise. The girl places the food down in front of Starshadow.

“Oi, watch it!” Starshadow pulls his cup of black blech away, growing a little bit in size to catch his mug and keep it on the table. He glowers as he shrinks back down again. I am amused as Starshadow practically dips his head into the cup.  _ Glorious coffee. I need more. _

_ You mentioned that… several times. _

“Hi. Mom says that you speak Demacian. Do you?” She asks in our common tongue. I nod. She takes the bowl and spoons out some soup. I weakly open my mouth. She places the spoon into my mouth. I gulp down the bland stuff eagerly. When I finish my mouthful, I open my mouth up for another bite. It’s humiliating, but I really can’t move that much. For a few minutes, it’s just her feeding me while I eat. The clanking of the spoon against the bowl indicates it’s empty. She sets it down as the large white haired woman walks in. The girl stands up and takes the tray with her as she walks out.

“Thank you, dear.” She kisses the girl’s head on the way out. The girl nods her head and continues on her way. The woman takes a seat on the edge of my bed. She rests her head on her hands.

“Hello, Grena.” Starshadow greets. There’s an odd tone in his voice. I guess it’s something between cordiality and annoyance. The woman, Grena, flinches slightly before looking up at me.

“Hello again, Starshadow.” She sounds a little tired and uneasy. I tilt my head.

“These negotiations, did Starshadow do something?” My voice comes out a little bit better.

“When you passed out, your snake went a little bit… crazy. He was furious at my treatment of someone I didn’t know, especially if one was claimed as a healer. He proved it to me when he bit my hand and a similar mark appeared on his skin. He then told me what you’ve been through. I can’t imagine some of the things he told me. I’m sorry for hurting you.” She rambles a bit. I blink slowly, still feeling completely exhausted.

“You were defending yourself. That’s ok. I get that I’m not the most… normal looking.” I try to gesture to my face. It doesn’t work as well as I’d hope as my arm barely lifts off the bed. She snorts.

“You look like a young teenager, just a little bit older than my Ashe. Starshadow told me that you're not though. You’re… nineteen now?” 

“I am? Is it winter already?” I glance at Starshadow. I see Grena look very confused.

“Winter?” She asks.

“Ah, I can explain. Technically, Leilah is eighteen and three seasons to Targonian traditions, but she was born in summer. Her village basically has everyone age by seasons. They didn’t have the best calendar. I, on the other hand, remember her birthday. That is how awesome I am.” Starshadow raises his chin. I roll my eyes at his behaviour.

“I bet you anything Aurora is keeping track.”

“It’s actually Daamien. Healer powers.” Starshadow retorts. Grena sounds amused at our banter.

“So, according to your calendar, you haven’t reached your season age, but Daamien says that your birthday was recently? Who’s Daamien?”

“Uh, a friend of ours. Not important. What is important is where are we?” Starshadow deflects. It’s painfully obvious that he’s changing the subject. I almost cringe at it, but Grena lets it go.

“My village, Vathcaer. You’re welcome to stay here for a while. Starshadow mentioned that you guys come for emergencies. I guess that you would be here for Ashe.” Grena looks at me hopefully. I tilt my head slightly.

“Why?” My mouth starts to slur. My eyes are starting to close again. Starshadow leaves his coffee and pulls my blankets up with his tail.

“I’ll explain when you wake up, alright?” Grena helps him tuck me back to sleep. I make one last effort to stay awake.

“Please?”

Grena sighs, uncomfortable, but nods. Starshadow groans while returning to his coffee, but doesn’t say anything. He knows me too well.

“This is the first year she hasn’t seen her friend Sejuani. I’m worried she’s not handling it well. Can you help her?” She asks me. I nod.

“Of course. We’d be happy to help. Starshadow, can I have some coffee?” I breath out. I can practically see Starshadow grip the cup tighter and glare at me.

_ You can get your own after you wake up. This one is mine!  _ Starshadow mocks yells. I chuckle as I allow sleep to take over me once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Vaelcanth! For those that follow the timeline, Leilah's appears to Ashe the year after Grena offended Sejuani's grandmother. Poor Ashe is feeling alone in all this. Enter Leilah, here to help her understand that sometimes you can't always see people that you are friends with or care about, but that doesn't mean you can't care about them. (cough, Yone, Parents, cough)
> 
> I also had a bit of a scientific addition to magic and healing. Leilah is newer to magic. She wasn't born with it, and doesn't understand it as well. She's not used to it enough to become instinctive. Daamien is best for explaining magic in his own way as he has also experienced being magicless to having power. 
> 
> I'm also in a bit of a dilemma. I'm writing an arc a little bit later in the story. The longer I stew on it, the more chapters it has. I just want to know if you guys are ok with having a long arc or if you would prefer the short arcs that I have been writing. For a little context without spoiling too much, it's exploring Leilah's relationship with the ones she cares about the most. To be honest, the longer it is, the more impact it will have when the Noxian invasion happens. (We all know it's coming. That's not a spoiler.)
> 
> As always, Be extraordinary! And have happy holidays!


	40. Being a Child and an Adult

I get out of bed with a rather loud crack from my back. It certainly feels good to get out. I look down at myself before squeaking and pulling up the blanket. Someone took off my clothes.

_ Well, good morning, Leilah. Nice to see that you are awake as opposed to your state of sleep. Three days. I didn’t think that throwing off a curse would wipe you out that much, but hey.  _ Starshadow announces himself as he slithers into my room. He carefully holds up a hot cup with his tail as he makes his way to my bed.

_ Starshadow, where are my clothes?  _ I mentally demand. Starshadow continues his relaxed slither onto the desk next to me and carefully places the cup on the desk before comfortably curling around it.

_ Oh, you slept for a while. They had to clean you up after some time, Leilah. You were starting to stink. So Grena volunteered to take your clothes. They turned back into the clothing you were given in Ixtal, and… They might not know how to wash delicate Ixtali Silk… So they kinda destroyed them.  _ Starshadow ducks his head in for a sip.  _ They did offer to give you clothes. And undergarments. _

“Who saw me like this?” I squeak. I yank the blanket over my head in complete embarrassment.

“Only me, dear.” Grena answers. I peek out of the blankets to see Grena carrying a bowl with some more soup that I ate from before along with some clothes under her arms. I blush heavily at the thought before tucking into the bed. Grena’s weight on the bed is quite noticeable as I almost bounce when she sits down.

“At least I’m not completely ruined.” I grumble. Starshadow barks out in laughter.

“What, I don’t count?” Starshadow teases me.

“As you say, you are a snake. Mother and Father were very strict in saying that I was to remain pure for whomever I so choose.” I throw at him.

“Well, feel free to consider yourself ‘pure’. Grena is a mother herself.” Starshadow points out. I peak out the blankets to see Starshadow and Grena’s amused face. I groan and bury myself back underneath.

“I hate you.”

“Well, I hope you don’t hate me. I brought clothes that I believe would fit you. You aren’t that different from my Ashe, but you do have a slightly bigger chest than her.” Grena grabs something and drops it on me. I peak out from the covers and look more closely at the fabric.

“That’s not a breastband.” I mutter quietly while reaching for the article of clothing on top. There’s two cups connected with straps. I tilt my head while looking at it all over. Grena chuckles. I blush and drop the fabric.

“No, we are a little more sophisticated than that. That’s called a bra. It will support your breasts a little better than a breast band.” Grena explains. I grab the undergarments below and quickly pull them on. I grab the bra and look over it carefully. I really don’t understand how it works. I blush and look shyly at Grena.

“Do you have any breastbands?” I whisper. Grena turns to my comfortable bonded happily sipping his coffee.

“Starshadow, would you step out for a moment?” Grena asks. Starshadow almost seems to shrug before he slips out of the room with his coffee. 

_ For someone that lets me have a bath with them, being completely nacked is out of the option.  _ Starshadow grumbles.

_ It’s more like I don’t want you to laugh at me while I learn how to put on clothes.  _ I gpoitn out. I feel Starshadow’s acceptance as the door closes behind him. Grena turns back to me. 

“I can show you how to put one on. It’ll take much less time to put a bra on than a breastband. Trust me?”

I hesitate, but nod. Gathering all my courage in my small body. I grab the bra with my right hand and let the blanket drop.  _ Grena’s already seen it all. Grena’s a mom, like Mother… She’s just going to show me how to put on a bra, whatever that is. _

“Alright, see these circles?” Grena points out the straps. I nod shyly. “Hold your arms forward.” I follow her directions. She slides the straps onto my arms and rests them on my shoulders. The cups on the bra match where my breasts would be. She lets go and grabs the ends. I see a little hook on one side and a loop on the other. “You hook the bra behind your back. Stand up.” Grena instructs. I stand up and turn around. I feel her hook the bra together. It holds up my breasts and much easier than a breastband, but it digs into my sides a little bit.

“It hurts a little bit.” I mutter quietly.

“Sorry, I’ll get one that fits you better. For now, why don’t you get dressed.” Grena walks out the door. I look around to see the thick clothes on the bed. 

“Grena? Where’s my scarf?” I call out.

“It’s a really worn scarf. Are you sure you want that?” Grena yells back.

“Yes!” I almost yell. I hear Grena’s footsteps fade as she walks away quickly. I pull on my clothes. The pants and shirt morph into my usual black leggings and blue dress. It’s much warmer and comfier. I slip on socks and wiggle my toes. The socks merge into the leggings. It feels nice to be completely covered in clothes, that’s for sure.

“Leilah? Are you dressed?” Grena calls as she knocks on the door.

“Yeah.” I open the door. Grena stands there with a my beautiful dark blue starry scarf.

“This is the strangest garment that I’ve ever seen. When I pulled it off you, it almost became rags. I tried to burn it, but your snake ordered that I keep it safe and wait for you to wake up. You asked for it, and your scarf looks good as new.” Grena remarks. I quickly wrap my parent’s gift tightly around my neck. I almost feel Aurora’s kindness sink from the scarf into me.

_ Most Aspects have an icon for their weapon. The Sun, a shield. The Moon a curved blade. Pantheon had his spear, and Taric his mace. Aurora and I, we both thought that you deserved to deliver a message of peace. Your scarf was the only thing that Aurora saw and chose to make that your icon. As long as you live, that scarf will always be as good as the day you were given it by your parents.  _ Starshadow slithers back in without his mug. He slithers up onto my body and happily nuzzles into my scarf. I stare at my bonded in shock. Starshadow… He’s huge. His body easily coils around my waist, like he did in Demacia, only this time, his head also nuzzles me. I don’t even feel anything exhausting me.

“Since when were you this big?” I demand. Starshadow stops his affection and looks at me with a deadpan look.

“I’m a celestial. It’s about time your magic was capable of sustaining more of my body.” Starshadow monotones. I roll my eyes. Starshadow snickers.  _ This was after we threw off the curse. I don’t know what you did, but that was a massive power spike. The last three days were about you resting and acclimating to that new power. _

“Starshadow has been steadily getting bigger and bigger over the past few days. First day you were brought here, he could fit around a mug easily. Now, he helps Ashe practice with her weapons. He’s big enough to dodge her attempts. He keeps telling that she’s more suited to a ranged weapon, but Ashe is my daughter.” Grena remarks. There’s an oddness in her voice and her eyes keep flashing over to me. Starshadow rolls his eyes before his gaze focuses on the doorway.

“Hello, Ashe!” Starshadow greets. I look over to see the same dirty blonde haired girl as before. She waves a brief hand to me before looking at her mother.

“Mom, it’s time for practice?” Ashe asks. There’s an oddness to her voice as well. Grena’s head snaps around, like she just came out of her head. Grena turns around and nods.

“Of course. Leilah can help you today.” Grena’s hand grabs my wrist and pulls me forward a little bit. I feel a little confused.

“I’m not a fighter, Grena.” I speak up.

“You have magic. Starshadow told me. Maybe you can use it to teach her how to fight.” Grena sounds a little foggy as she walks out the door. She kisses Ashe’s head and walks out. Ashe sighs before looking at me. I walk over to her and offer my hand.

“I’m Leilah. As I recall last time, I was a little bit… out of it.” I Introduce myself. Ashe gives a soft smile and shakes my hand.

“I know who you are. Starshadow was very keen on telling me about you outside of practice.” Ashe laughs at my huge snake on my shoulders. I roll my eyes and tap his nose. There’s a small pull on my gut as Starshadow shrinks down to the little size he was before I woke up. Starshadow hisses in annoyance.

_ I could have done that myself.  _ Starshadow grumbles before happily digging himself into the scarf.  _ Stop using your magic and let me control it. _

“You sure?”

_ Positive.  _ Starshadow remarks. I stop pushing my magic onto him, but Starshadow remains the same size.

“I’m not going to get tired from giving you magic to stay small, am I?” I can’t help but ask.

_ Puh-lease. Leilah, you throw your magic like a battering ram. I have more finesse. It’s because- _

“If you say it’s because you are a celestial, we are going to have words.” I interrupt Starshadow before he says anything.

“He didn’t say anything.” Ashe protests. Starshadow’s head pops out of my scarf and looks at her.

“I don’t have to. Leilah and I, we’re bonded. Takes no magic at all to talk silently with each other.” Starshadow remarks. Ashe jumps and looks around. I feel the smallest tug on my magic. I roll my eyes.

“That magic, it’s more of a one way communication. I can’t create a sound illusion when I don’t know what you're going to say.” I shrug my shoulders.

“That’s… interesting. Anyway, can you help me practice?” Ashe asks. There’s a hint of desperation in her eyes. I nod surely and follow her to her door. I pull on a pair of borrowed boots. My magic morphs the boots into a brown, thick version of my favorite shoes.

It’s beautiful outside. In Targon, the snow falls are harsh, with cold rocks stabbing their way through the stone. Snow in Targon meant possible death. In the Freljord, it’s almost like a blanket. With the warming temperature, I can see life peaking through the snow. A small, budding flower is just reaching through the snow. I can’t help but kneel in front of it and touch it.

“Ashe!” A young man’s coming-of-age voice cracks in the air. I turn around to see a young, thin dark haired boy run up to Ashe. He has this odd… skull hat on. Ashe easily greets the boy with a hug.

“How are you, Maalcrom?” Ashe pulls away with a soft smile. I tilt my head slightly. He looks at me briefly before turning to Ashe again.

“Is this the outsider?” Maalcrom’s tone… I don’t like it. It’s scornful, dismissive. I don’t know what I’m feeling. If this boy was older, I’d feel like I did something wrong for existing. As it is, I’m kinda amused by his behaviour, like a child trying to be an adult.

“The outsider has more power in her little pinky finger than you would ever have, boy.” Starshadow snaps. Seems like he doesn’t like it either, but he’s not acting mature.

“Ashe, are you going to listen to them?’ Maalcrom continues to ignore me. My eyebrow raises.

“They’re going to be here for a little bit before they keep going. Mom says she needs some rest.” Ashe gestures to me. Starshadow lets himself grow in size in irritation and falls onto the ground.

“HEY!” Starshadow barks. Maalcroom looks over and backs away quickly. He trips on his clothes and starts to fall. I reach my hand out and help him get back to his feet. He looks over his shoulder and sees my magic shimmer in the light. He glances back at me, this time with interest.

“What are you? With your weird face.” Maalcrom snaps. Starshadow’s neck flairs a bit. I blink, surprised at the new development.

“A hundred times better than you! What are you, a warrior in training?” Starshadow snaps. 

_ Since when did you have a hood?  _ I demand in my mind.

_...Since you had that magic burst? _

“I’m a frost priest in training!” Maalcrom demands. Ashe steps between the two males.

“Woah, let’s calm down.” Ashe tries to stop their argument.

“He started it!” Starshadow whines. I smack his head slightly.

“They’re outsiders, Ashe! You shouldn’t trust them.” Maalcrom glares at us furiously. I hold up my hands. Starshadow starts to open his mouth when I snap a glare at him. He bows his head while grumbling at the unfairness that he’s being chastised like a child.

“We are strangers to you, yes. That in itself is a reason to feel uncomfortable with our presence.” I start Starshadow’s head shoots up, piercing me with red eyes. “That being said, there is no need to be hostile to anyone you don’t know. For all you can know. You may be attacked by a rival village. I’m an illusionist and a healer in training. I could be the difference between keeping your village alive to letting it die.” I do my best to pacify both parties. Starshadow feels vindicated. Maalcrom stares at me, no longer malicious. “You both had good intentions, defending your friend or bonded.” I nod to Starshadow. He nods his head before turning to the boy. He knows what I want him to do.

“I apologize that I offended your mortal pride.” Starshadow sounds genuine in his apology, but I can sense that he wants another fight with the boy. I tap his tail in rebuke. He glares at me before sounding even more aggravated. “I apologize for lashing out. Leilah is one of the purest souls I’ve ever met, so I am very protective of her, including insults.”

“...I was being rude as well. I apologize for my behaviour.” Maalcrom gives a jerky nod. Ashe looks at me with relief in her eyes before turning to Maalcrom.

“I’m gonna go train. Leilah said that she’d help me. Doesn’t your Father want you to practice more too?” Ashe suggests quietly. Maalcrom nods before hugging her one last time and walking away. I hold my arm low for Starshadow to slither up to my arm as I stand up.

“What was that about?” I ask her. Ashe sighs.

“According to Mom, the borders with Noxus are getting restless. Of course, we can’t do anything about it as it is as we have our own problems.” Ashe guides me to another house. When we step inside, it’s bare. Only dummies, circles on the ground, and a few wooden weapons litter the area.

“Is this what your mother was talking about the last time I was awake? She said you were struggling with not seeing your friend. Sej...uani?” I ask. Ashe stiffens slightly before she slumps a bit.

“We used to have Sejuani come and visit. She’d play with me. She’s the only other Iceborn here.” Ashe wipes at her eyes harshly.

“Iceborn? I think Grena made a comment about that before.” I remember. When the woman stabbed me.

“Ice born are descendants of the three Sisters, Lissandra, Serylda, and Avarosa. We’re resistant to the cold. I could stand outside right now with just a bra and a skirt and be comfortable.” Ashe explains I shiver and pull my scarf a little bit tighter.

“Technically, Leilah could do that same.” Starshadow pops his head out. “Too tight, Leilah.” He gasps, referring to my pull on the scarf. I pull a bit to loosen it. “Much better.”

“You’re not an Iceborn, though.” Ashe gasps. I turn to Starshadow with a raised eyebrow.

“I’d love to hear how I have the ability to stand outside exposed.” 

“Tell you later when I confirm with Daamien and Aurora. In the meantime, you’ve gotten so rusty with your dodging skills. I’m not going to have another Bilgewater or Demacian incident, so you get to training.” Starshadow barks as he drops to the ground. He quickly slithers out of the room and shuts the door.

_ Where are you going? _

_ Grena. Something’s odd about her. I’m going to keep an eye on her. Try not to hit her, I’d rather you didn’t get covered in twice the amount of bruises you should.  _ Starshadow dismisses me. I roll my eyes and turn back to Ashe. She throws me a wood sword. I struggle to catch it before I grip it firmly. In my momentary distraction, Ashe picked up a small wooden tool that looks remarkably like Grena’s axe.

“So, have you fought anyone before?” Ashe asks. I feel a soft smile appear on my lips before I sink into the ready stance Yone taught me.

“I’ve been taught how to not die, if that helps.” I feel a little cocky. Ashe nods before she launches herself at me. I barely have enough time to block the attack with the sword. All that training in ionia is locked into my muscles as I actively block her attack instead of going for her hands. She has a small smirk on her face as she grabs my sword handle. She pulls it to her and raises her axe. I drop the sword and fall backwards. Her axe narrowly misses my head and I roll back onto my head. Now she’s holding two weapons. She has a cocky smirk on her face.

“You’re unarmed. That makes you in trouble.” Ashe claims as she charges at me. I wait until the last second before slipping around the hand that holds the sword. I yank it back out of her hand. The change in pressure is enough for Ashe to slip on her feet and fall on her side. I wince as I feel the slight pain from her side, but remain tall. I hold the sword in my right hand and point it at her.

“It’s about being smart, Ashe. You shouldn’t get arrogant when you think you have your opponent outmatch.” I recite one of Yone’s many mini lessons he gave me. I froze him in place once. I thought I had won, but my lack of control and sickness caused him to free himself easily and win the spar. He told me that magic was a great tool to outmatch many of my opponents, but even when I have control, I would never know what kind of trick they would have. 

Ashe attacks me again. This time, she’s cautious. I block her attack and push her away. She goes with it, flipping onto her hands and shoulders. Her leg sweeps under mine. I have to jump quickly or Ashe would knock the wind out of me. So far, I’m trying to avoid using magic against her. Ashe leaps up from the ground with her axe whipping towards my side quickly. I twist the sword into an awkward angle to stop it. She tries to take it again, only this time I slip a leg between hers and shove her backwards. She can’t put her legs down properly and falls down again. I feel a sting in my butt and rub the spot.

“Why are you rubbing your butt? I was the one that fell.” Ashe grumbles. I hold out a hand and pull her up.

“It’s because my magic… I’m under a vow to never do harm to another. Though, that vow was when I was still new to magic. With how much my core has grown, my magic can’t stop me from hurting anyone all the time, so the vow kinda twisted itself into injuring me if I hurt anyone else.” I explain sheepishly while offering a hand to her. She blinks before taking it. I pull her up.

“At least you won’t be hurting us anytime soon.” Ashe remarks. “Who taught you how to fight?”

“I went to a sword school before we realized the problems that I would have.” I rsay vaguely. I guess it wasn’t enough for Ashe.

“If that’s the case, why are you blushing?’ Ashe smirks. The small blush on my face starts to glow when I get caught out.

“The school regarded me more as an asset to make their school even more famous than before. They taught me how to fight, even when most of the time, when I fought, I often hit myself. Starshadow intervened, demanding that I am allowed to be taught by another student as he was one of the most patient ones there. He never attacked unless he was attacked, so he knew how to defend himself without hurting anyone.” I start to play with my hair. Ashe laughs.

“This student must have been some teacher if you are blushing as hard as you are.” Ashe points out. I roll my eyes.

“I haven’t seen him in months, Ashe. I highly doubt Yone thinks of me.” I try to dismiss.

“So, his name is Yone?” Ashe asks lightly. I glow a little bit brighter and turn away. Big mistake. I feel Ashe’s firm body slam into me and take me down to the ground. The air is knocked out of my lungs as I land against the ground. I groan and just lie there while Ashe sits up and holds the axe to my neck. “You really shouldn’t get distracted. What would Yone think?” Ashe mocks me. I glare at her and throw out my hands. Ashe yelps as her body is forced to stand up and walk away.

“Just to be clear, I have magic that can make your body move against its will. I’ve refrained from using it as it is a rather powerful tool. Don’t tempt me into using magic, I’d make your head spin.” I snap. Ashe nods her head.

“Ok.” Ashe mutters shyly. I let her go and pick up my wooden sword. Ashe readies her axe, her face very, very stiff. I sigh and put down the sword.

“I’m… sorry for my outburst.” I start. Ashe raises an eyebrow, but remains tense. “I haven’t been back in months. Yone… He’s a very serious individual. Last time I was gone for a year. He said he still had feelings for me. I know that after a year, Yone still loved me. But, we are still growing. I don’t know if he will still love me after all this time, so Yone, he’s a bit of a touchy subject.”

“I won’t mention his name again, then.” Ashe mutters softly. She relaxes the more I talk.

“No, it’s ok, I just would rather you didn’t use him to disarm me. In a real fight, you would never get his name and use it to distract me.” I try to calm things down. Ashe nods, accepting my reasoning and getting back into a fighting stance.

_ LEILAH!  _ Starshadow comes bursting through the door, startling the both of us. Ashe yelps while I jump.

“What?” I ask. He glances at Ashe before turning directly to me.

_ Ashe is a strong girl. She’s capable of figuring herself out while she doesn’t see Sejuani. The problem we came here for isn’t Ashe being lonely. _

_ Why do you say that? _

_ She’s going over maps and staring at them. She keeps mentioning a throne. She’s fanatic. _

“Ashe, do you know about a throne of Avarosa?” I ask her. She freezes and looks almost terrified. 

“She’s at it again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a bit late. I had this entire arc planned out, then I got a better idea, so now I'm frantically rewriting the entire arc. So, yeah. This arc isn't going to be a long one as it's going to be more of a focus for Leilah learning her abilities and who she is while learning new things, like the bra. I'm hoping that the bra incident displays how she still has so much to learn, to remind the reader that even with all her skills, magic, and kindness, she's still rather new to the world she's thrust into. We haven't explored who Leilah, as a person, so much, so hopefully, this arc will show her strength, her skill, her soul, as she helps Ashe learn ways to cope with her mother.
> 
> And, as usual, you readers are the greatest. You ordinary, everyday readers are constantly motivating me to be great. To be extraordinary. I hope that you give yourselves the same inspiration you give me and inspire yourselves to be extraordinary.


	41. Running Away

“Ashe?” A deep older voice calls out. Ashe’s head turns to the door.

“I’m in the training hall!” Ashe responds. Starshadow slithers up to my shoulders as a huge man crunches through the door. While he’s huge and foreboding, especially to me, he has kind blue eyes. They peak through his slowly whitening beard. I back away slightly, my left hand slipping to my back. I feel my magic begin to pool in my core, ready to lash out should I need to.

“Training already?” The man rumbles with a kind tone. Ashe gives a soft smile as she nods. He looks over at me with surprise. “Starshadow told us that he didn’t believe you would be up for a while. I suppose that you surpassed his expectations.”

“Uh, yes… I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve been met?” I stammer a little bit. Starshadow, the little annoyance that he is, snorts and goes to sleep.

_ You play nice. I want to talk with Aurora and Daamien. Don’t kill us or rescue someone or… die before I come back.  _ Starshadow instructs. I shake my head at my snake. 

“Unbelievable…”

“I am Yrael, the eldest of Ashe’s Oathfather.” Yreal introduces himself. He holds out a meaty hand. I can’t help but think that he could easily crush my hand should he so choose to as I shake his. My hand and part of my forearm could easily be cracked if he wants. He’s very gentle as he shakes my hand. I guess there’s a small look of surprise on my face as he gives a soft chortle. I glow slightly and turn away.

“Yrael won’t hurt a fly. He held me as a baby.” Ashe giggles a bit. I pout.

“Sorry.” My right hand reaches back and starts to play with my hair. Yrael looks at me with such sadness that I feel it in my bones. I can’t help but shift a little bit in discomfort. He turns back to Ashe and pats her shoulder.

“Daughter, I’d like to talk to Leilah alone.” Yreal suggests to Ashe. She nods before leaving the hall.

“I’ll go see Mother. Starshadow was looking alarmed about her earlier.” Ashe leaves. The door closes behind her, leaving silence. I look up at the man. He grabs a stool and sits on it. Even sitting, he still looks down at me a little bit. I look back at him, quite confused. He just watches me until he opens his mouth.

“Child, what have you suffered?” Yrael asks. I blanch.

“W-w-what do you mean?” I start to backpedal.  _ How did he know? _

“You looked at me with such fear in your eyes. You thought I would hurt you.” Yrael leans over. “You were surprised that you could be held so gently by someone like me.”

“I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean to make you feel-”

“You also want to comfort me instead of allowing yourself to be comforted. Many children that have been abused tend to stop caring about themselves.” Yrael interrupts.

“Hold on a minute, my parents are amazing. They raised me on stories and a small farm with such love that I didn’t want to leave.” I defend my parents fiercely.

“Then why are you here?” Yrael points out.

“I climbed Mount Targon and became an Aspect, then a Darkin attached himself to my soul and now I teleport all over Runeterra. I help those that need it.” I snap. He blinks before nodding.

“I see. You are proud of the legacy you now carry. Then who has hurt you?”

“I said I teleport over Runeterra for people who are in need.” I reply quietly. “People who need me, it isn’t because they are in a good spot.”

“Tell me.” Yrael demands. I snort and cross my arms.

“We met the same day I woke up. Why should I trust you?” I retort.  Yrael just stares at me. He looks at me expectantly. I huff and walk to the door. Right when I’m about to leave, I hear him whisper something. 

"Why trust the snake that seems to command your life? When he puts you through torture? Makes you alone? Your parents, they should be out looking for you if they were good ones." I can’t help but flee the hall. Small children stare at me as I run. I don’t stop running, not until I can’t move. I fall onto my knees with a gasp. The flowers poking through the ground stretch their buds up as far as they can to me. I angrily wipe my tears off my face.

_ Who does he think he is? He doesn’t know anything!  _ I rant in my head. My hand curls into a fist and I pound the ground. _Starshadow would never torture me! Sure, he's obnoxious and a pain, but he's always done his best to keep me safe._ My knuckles crack with pain before magic heals them over. Over and over again, I let out my frustration on the ground. _He doesn't know anything! No one I care about would ever EVER hurt me like that!_ I think Aurora and Daamien are watching and don’t like what I’m doing. I feel my magic stop healing my fists, but I can’t stop. I let out a scream before falling over. My body struggles to breath as his words keep echoing in my head.

_ Leilah?  _ Starshadow sounds a little bit groggy. I hold my breath for a moment. Starshadow’s head sneaks out of my scarf. He finds my tear ridden face and is instantly alarmed.  _ Leilah, are you- Your hands!  _

“It’s nothing, Starshadow.” I mutter. I sit up and pull my bloody hands into my lap. I try to call on my magic. My hands remain bloody messes. I don’t feel my magic try to sooth me. Starshadow slithers down my body and rests on my lap. He stares at my hand before he looks into my eyes.

_ Nothing? Nothing doesn’t cause you to hurt yourself, especially not this badly. Aurora and Daamien were practically ordering me out to help you. Aurora was pulling your magic to her. Now, don’t lie to me.  _ Starshadow demands.

“It really is nothing, Starshadow.” I wipe my face. I feel my blood freeze against my cheeks.

_ Leilah- _

“What? You want to remind me that I’m alone in this world?” I snap out. Starshadow recoils a little bit.

_ Leilah, what are you talking about? You’re not alone. I’m here with you. _

“You wouldn’t understand.”

_ Try me. _

“You’re immortal. You’ve lived a long time. None of this would bother you.”

_ Leilah, I was bullied for centuries by the celestials. If anyone, anyone has a chance of understanding you, it’d be the soul that’s bonded to you. _

“You have a soul?”

_ Stay on topic, Leilah.  _ Starshadow instructs. He’s serious.

“Fine. You want to know? Yrael thinks that I need a parent’s touch. That I can’t handle myself.” I snap. Tears fall down my face. “He accused my parents of mistreating me, that I ran away on purpose. He told me, as I was leaving, that he’s sure that if my parents loved me, they would have left Targon by now, to try to find me. He also said that you purposefully put me through hell.”

_...What started all this?  _ Starshadow’s neck is glowing slightly.

“All because he walked in the door, I flinched, and when he shook my hand, I was amazed that someone could hold me that gently.”

_...Leilah, he’s Grena’s Bloodsworn and Ashe’s Oathfather- _

“What does that even mean?” I scream out in frustration. Starshadow pulls back slightly before taking a deep breath.

_ A Bloodsworn is a man that vows to be a warmother’s loyal guard. Most times they come to love her and father her children. An Oathfather is just that, a man sworn to protect and love the warmother’s children. _

“So he might not even be Ashe’s father? Why does he care about her then?” I calm down a bit. It’s… Interesting to learn all this.

_ Leilah, Targon and Ionia, they promise to love one person outside of their family. The Freljord is a much hardier place, one that can’t afford one spouse to protect every child. It doesn’t even matter that he isn’t her father, what matters is that he loves and raised her. He’s a parent. _

“So what does that have to do with me.”

_ For starters, you are acting like a child… and another, are are barely taller than Ashe… _

“Your point being?”

_ The Freljord tribes look after any and all children, even if they are outsiders. _ Starshadow keeps hinting. I sigh when I understand.

“He just wants to help me, doesn’t he?” I murmur. Starshadow nods and taps his tail against my hands. My magic immediately races forward. The bones pop back into place as my skin grows over them. I flex my hands for a bit before looking at my bonded. He’s not expressing anything.

I sigh and stand up. Starshadow adjusts, coiling himself around my left wrist. I wipe my cheeks. Frozen blood flakes off. I look around and want to smack myself. Just like when I was nine, I’ve managed to run off to somewhere I don’t know. And I don’t have a clue how to get back. I turn in a circle and groan. I must have used magic as I ran, as there is no trace of how I came here. Starshadow hears me huff and tries to help, but he snorts as well.

_ Well done, Leilah. You’ve successfully managed to get much farther than we expected. Didn’t I tell you to not get into trouble while I was asleep? _

“I was upset!” I protest. The ground shakes slightly. I wobble a little bit. When everything is still again. I glance around. “What was that?”

_ No idea. And that's no excuse!  _ Starshadow mutters in my head. There’s a shuffling of snow. I snap around to see a rather large woman falling down a hill. I reach out with my magic and stop her fall before she goes flying into a tree. I walk over to her as she fumbles to her feet. Immediately, she checks her pack. I guess she’s happy as I can see a small smile appear before she turns back. The hill looks daunting to climb back up, but she starts to put one foot in front of the other. A few steps up, she slips again. By that time, I’m close enough to reach out and help stabilize her to the best of my ability. I barely manage to help her stay upright. She gets a solid stance before turning to me. Her warm brown eyes find me.

“Thank you, dear.” She says before turning back to the hill.

“Do you need help, ma’am?” I ask. Starshadow slithers up to my neck as we stay by her side.

“Oh, it’s alright, child. I’m sure I can- woah!” She slips again. I flick my hand out and use my shadow magic to help her stay on her feet. “Thank you again.”

“Let us help.” I persist. I flick my hands again and small shadow stairs appear in front of us. She blinks before taking a step on them. They don’t buckle under the enormous weight. She turns back to me with curiosity in her eyes.

“Thank you. What’s your name, child?” She asks kindly.

“It’s Leilah.” I reach out and look through her pack. It’s full of blankets and coats. I blink in confusion.

“Who else is going to help us?” She looks over her shoulder at me.

“That would be me.” Starshadow peaks his head out. She squeaks a little bit as Starshadow falls off my shoulder and stretches out in size. I see him flex his body and shake it.  _ Cold, cold, cold. _

“We have magic, Starshadow. Just use that.” I roll my eyes. I feel a tug in my core as Starshadow happily takes my suggestion. I take a few blankets off and hold them tightly. Starshadow takes over the magic and guides us as we easily walk up the hill.

“Thank you for your help, but I can manage the rest of the way.” She dismisses me.

“I can still help. I have healing magic too.” I want to stay with her. I… I don’t feel ready to go back to Vathcaer…

_ Don’t worry about it. I already sent a message to Ashe and Yrael, telling them that we’ll be back when you're ready.  _ Starshadow keeps moving up the stairs without letting her know that we could talk.

_ When did you do that? _

_ While you were crying like a child. _

_ You are the worst.  _ I glare at Starshadow but keep walking.

“You can heal?” She asks, sounding surprised.

“She’s a healer in training, but I can tell you she can heal.” Starshadow helps my case. The woman rolls her shoulders and marches on forward.

When we reach the top of the hill, I can’t help but gasp. There’s a village alright, but it’s been smashed. Houses are torn up with open roofs. There’s almost no people in sight. I want to drop my furs, but I can’t.  _ She’s giving these supplies to them… _

She races down the hill, this time with more purpose and steadiness. Starshadow shrinks and hops onto my leg as I follow her. I feel a shiver crawl up my spine as we reach the town.

_ Nope, that’s just me.  _ Starshadow snickers as he pops out of my collar. I shoot him a small glare before hurrying to her side.

“Is anyone here?” She yells out. I will my magic to find anyone. It glows around me before tendrils reach out. The woman jumps back slightly, but lets my magic do it’s work. The thickest of the tendrils go to a still roughly intact house. I walk towards it. She follows closely behind.

“Hello?” I call out.  _ Starshadow, can you knock on the door? _

_ Please, ask me to do something hard.  _ Starshadow slinks down my arms. He curls his tail up and raps against the wood three times. A few seconds after the third tap, the door opens. A man with a bloody face greets us. He sees the woman with her pack and closes the door a bit.

“Wait! We brought blankets!” She calls out desperately.

“You’re from a rival village. Go away.” He snarls.

“Rivalry means nothing when one needs help. We are the Freljord. We’re family.” She persists. The man thinks for a long moment before he opens the door. 

The smell of blood and urine assaults my nose. Tears pool into my eyes as the sounds of children crying and adults whimpering overwhelm me. I can’t even stop moving as the woman with the pack gently pushes me in. Starshadow leaves my body and grows in size.

_ Give me the blankets. You go do your thing.  _ Starshadow instructs. I drop my laid into his arms and find the first injured one. The poor man’s arm is chopped off. I’m not sure how he’s still alive, but I reach out and press my hands against his bicep. My hands glow. My magic floods the injury, stopping the flow and coaxing new skin to grow back in. There’s a light sweat on my brow as I finish healing his arm. I wipe my forehead as he stares at me in shock.

“Who are you?” He asks in awe.

“I’m just a healer.” I pat his shoulder before moving to the next one. This one is a child with a rather long and deep scratch. She can’t stop crying. Her guardian looks around helplessly. I tap her shoulder. She turns and almost shoves the girl in my arms.

“Save her!” The guardian demands. I’m already laying a glowing hand on her injury. The girl stops crying. She watches intently as I heal her injury. This time my legs are starting to shake. Starshadow, the wonderful bonded that he is, drops the blankets on some other people and rises as high as he can.

“EVERYONE LISTEN UP!” He barks. I cover my ears since he’s so bloody loud. People scream and quake when they realize that the snake is talking. “My bonded is a healer and a damn good one too, but she’s still rather new to the whole healing business. Take her to where the most injured. And I do mean the most injured. A child with a scratch that can survive it is no excuse to make her use the precious resource she has. The ones that are in danger of dying will be seen first.”

“Who’s your bonded?” Another calls out.

“Her name is Leilah. She has a light Blue dress with a starry scarf. Her eyes are of different color. She will not hurt you. As I said, take care of the ones that are the most injured. We will help the others.” Starshadow repeats. Another man, this one on crutches, hobbles over to me.

“Leilah?” He asks. He glances at my eyes curiously for a moment. I nod. “Follow me.”

He takes me to the back of the hut. Here, Ten people look to be in desperate need of help. One of them is holding onto their child’s hand while trying to keep their organs inside. I feel bile rise in my throat before I turn around.  _ They need me. _

“Can you get some food and water? I might need it.” I choke out.

“Why?”

“I’m already hungry and thirsty from healing two people. Magic takes energy.” I respond before making my way to the poor woman. My hands touch her side. I’m careful to not touch her intestines as they slowly pull back into her stomach. Skin grows over the injury until she’s left looking as healthy as ever. My head swims as I slump over. Through blurry eyes, the woman slowly sits up and tests her stomach before rushing to help me.

“Miss, miss are you alright?” She asks. I nod sluggishly. There’s a bit of food pressing against my mouth urgently. I take the food and swallow it. I’m still hungry and dying of thirst, but at least my vision starts to clear.

“Next?” I gasp out. My snake appears in front of me and takes in stock before shaking his head.

_ You can’t keep this up. _

_ I have to try.  _ I push myself to my feet. Starshadow anxiously sways nearby as I keep healing. The one that lost two limbs stares at his fully healed stumps. Deep gashes in peoples sides heal up. I can only heal the ten before my body gives out.

“Leilah? Leilah!” Someone shouts in my ear. I flinch and blink my eyes open. Starshadow’s head is upside down, but I can still identify his snakey grin.

_ You absolute crazy person. Since when could you heal that many?  _ Starshadow sounds proud.

_ Since right now? How are they? _ I groan.

_ All are expected to make a full recovery, minus a few limbs. But that level of magic, we are going to talk about it. _

“Good to see you are awake.” The woman with the pack states. My head lolls over to look at her. She’s sipping a cup of something warm. Starshadow helps prop my head up and she grabs another hot drink. The bitter liquid pours into my mouth. I scrunch my face up as I drink it.

“What is that?” I demand.

“Coffee. Can I have some?” Starshadow pleads. The woman hands the mug over to Starshadow as he carefully rests my head down. Starshadow makes a happy noise as he curls around the cup. “Coffee…”

“How is everyone?” I ask. 

“Expected to make a full recovery. They are grateful that we came when we did. Giants certainly made a mess of things, didn’t they.” She remarks. My eyes widen as the air catches in my throat.

“Giants exist?” I cough out. I’m struggling to breath. Starshadow’s tail reaches out and helps me to my side. He slaps my back to help me breathe normally again.

“Unfortunately, they do.” The woman sounds so sad.

_ Hey, Star- _

_ Don’t you dare finish that statement. _

_ But what if the giants are like the tribe from Pantheon’s story? _

_ What?  _ Starshadow asks. I want to facepalm. 

_ Pantheon was attacked by another village because someone else was being mean to them. I told you this when we met Yasuo in Ionia. What if these giants are like that? They need help, we’re in the Freljord… _

_ What about Ashe and Grena? _

_ What if something bad happens to the giants and then it attacks the people?  _ I counter.  _ Ashe would be in danger. _

_ …I will drag you back from the edge of death to kill you myself.  _ Starshadow reluctantly agrees. I grin before coming back to reality.

“Hey, could you take a message to Vathcaer for me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this story has taken a sharp turn somewhere else. I genuinely wanted to focus on Ashe here, but I feel like Leilah benefits more from leaving Vathcaer for one singular reason. Also, Yrael does want to help, but he's as stubborn and unmoving as the country he lives in. He's used to confronting others to see the issues he sees as the eldest and probably most respected Bloodsworn in Vathcaer. He doesn't understand that this is her duty, that Leilah's accepted this and has learned to live with it. He's appealing to her youth. She still a child in his eyes and he definitely wants her to be strong and not under someone else's control, as Starshadow has been barking orders as to how to take care of Leilah the entire time she was unconscious. Starshadow understands that Leilah has accepted her life and that his blame of her family is hard on her, but he also understand Yrael. Leilah is still young and is more blinded by the immediate impact. He genuinely means well, but he doesn't understand how to speak with her, nor does she understand his intentions. Because of that, she can't handle being in Vathcaer right now, but she will go back, I promise that. Ashe and Leilah are very similar to each other, especially later.
> 
> The holidays are here! Hope each of you are safe, sound, healthy, and enjoying the celebrations. I hope all your holidays make your day extraordinary!


	42. What's Going On with Leilah?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor warning here. There is a scene where Leilah willingly hurts herself, and I don't want anyone to be triggered. It's makes in bold, so it's easy to be seen.

_ I hate you. So much.  _ Starshadow groans in my mind. A small pack thumps against my thigh as I climb a steep cliff.

_ You could have just gone back with that woman to Vathcaer, you know.  _ I roll my eyes.

_ And leave you to be alone? Since when do I ever willingly do that?  _ Starshadow’s offended face floats into him.

_ Uh… Ixtal? _

_ Qiyana and those the Empress trusted were nearby… _

_ Demacia? _

_ You weren’t technically alone. _

_ Ionia? _

_ Which time? _

_ … None that would not result in you teasing me. _

_ Glad you got my point. Log.  _ Starshadow’s late warning has me tripping over it. My face lands into a snow drift. I squeak from the cold.  _ We could have waited a day. ONE DAY! _

“Who else would have suffered?” I spit snow out of my face. It’s been getting colder and colder. I think we’re heading south.

_ We’re heading north, Leilah. In the Freljord, the north is colder.  _ Starshadow interrupts.

“Get out of my head.”

_ Not a chance. Not when you are so desperate to find more pain when you are low on magic. _

“We don’t know how they will react to someone with magic.” I retort as I stand up. The trees are thinning quite a bit. This is the first log that I’ve seen for a while now.

_ Oh, sure. We care more about the other person more than we care about yourself. How you’ve managed to walk around 3 hours out of the house after passing out from healing… That’s insane. _

“That village gave us food to last us a while.”

_ Last you. _

“You’re not eating?”

_ I get magic from you. That sustains me more than anything. _

“Then what was all the food about???” I snap as I keep walking. This mountain is remarkably tall. I feel like I’m on Mount Targon again from how steep the sides are.

_ Never had it before. It’s absolutely amazing. It almost makes me wish I was mortal. _

“Almost?” I can’t help but let a giggle out.

_ Of course.  _ Starshadow snarks.  _ How else am I supposed to keep you alive if I was. _

“You’d have hands.”

_ WHAT? I love having people wait on me all the time. I have excuses! _

“Excuse me?”

_ I mean… I’m a helpless snake in the cold? _

“You have magic from me. It’s a huge amount of magic, apparently.”

_ Not really. You were just desperate enough to do what you did. Nothing short of a small feat. _

“Are you trying to dismiss my accomplishments? Once upon a time you were trying to compliment me for magic without throwing up.” I can see the crest where I am. It gives me a little bit of motivation to get to the top.

_ One time you were so hard on yourself that you were upset that magic made you sick. Now, you healed ten people from certain death, Lamb and Wolf will not be pleased, and you aren’t stopping.  _ Starshadow’s tail whacks me in the back of the head. I can feel his head flinch into the back of my neck as the sting of his smack affects him. Gotta love magic sometimes.

“I can’t! I really can’t! Someone might be in trouble. That village was targeted for a reason!” I retort.

_ I am not in the mood to have you visit those two again!  _ Starshadow snaps.

“I’m not going to!”

_ You are pushing yourself too hard. Sit DOWN!  _ Starshadow snaps. He slides off my shoulders as he grows. He barely catches me as I fall backwards. He’s not as big as he was when he was defending me from Grena.  _ Told you. _

“Starshadow, we can’t slow down.” I gasp out.

_ Oh, no. You are slowing down. You are going to sit down, you are going to rest, you are going to recover.  _ Starshadow barks. I growl, but I can’t move. He wraps his tail around my chest and yanks me through the snow.

_ Starshadow… _

“You are not going to Starshadow me, Leilah. I’m your bonded, not your follower.”

_ No, you're my bonded, not my controller. _

“I’m not controlling you!”

_ You won’t let me go!  _

“You would kill yourself! I am your bonded. I want you to be alive and safe! I may have had Yone promise me that he would keep you safe, but he made me promise to do that same the last time we saw each other!” Starshadow snaps. Each tug of his tail pulls on my lungs, making it difficult for me to breath.

_ What? When...was that? _

“While you were asleep and recovering from your loss of voice. Now, there’s a cave nearby. You can either walk there yourself when you agree to rest, or I can tug you all the way there. Your choice!” Starshadow barks. I stubbornly remain quiet. Starshadow almost shrugs and continues to drag me up the mountain. The snow clings to my clothes. I do my best to struggle, but I can’t find the strength to yank my magic back from him. I feel colder every second we climb.

I can tell when we reach the cave. It’s warm and rocky compared to the cold, smooth snow. I remain quiet as Starshadow pulls me to the back. He carefully arranges my body to rest as comfortably as possible. He even pulls off my scarf and arranges it under my head before he slithers out of the cave.

“I’m going to grab some firewood. You’re freezing. You sleep or think about your behaviour while I’m out.” Starshadow barks. He’s careful to keep pulling at my magic. He can feel how mad I am. I can’t speak, can’t move. I can’t do anything. With nothing else to do, I close my eyes.

_ When I open my eyes, I’m in my mind. The light river bubbles by me, even if it’s rather thin. It’s tinged red with a hint of blue. The stars twinkle above and below. The little dark spot in the middle where Daamien resides is small. The river lights sink into the hole, vanishing as it’s being used by Starshadow. Even then, it’s… It’s low. It’s not nearly as thick as it was the first time I came here. I lean over. A quick peek inside shows that the man is sleeping. Red ridges glow and dim with each slow breath. Little lights seem to flit around his head. A small smile appears on his lips. I nod when I am sure he’s asleep. I let my eyes drop back to the river. For a few seconds, I’m quiet. I just think. And my temper grows.  _

_ “Who does Starshadow think he is? I’m not… I’m not someone to be babysat or controlled! I’m nineteen and a half! I don’t care how old he is, I can take care of myself!” I rant. The light starts to deepen red in irritation. The more I think about how Starshadow has been treating me, the angrier I get. I yell and slam a fist down into the river. Light splashes around as I let it out. _

You are pushing yourself a little bit too much, Leilah.  _ Aurora speaks up. I jump slightly, not expecting anyone to be here. _

_ “Wha-” _

You needed help. And it seems like you are starting to reach a breaking point. There’s no need for you to go from healing ten people from near death and throwing yourself into another adventure.  _ Aurora adds. She floats next to me and kneels above the light. Her hands gently reach out and hold mine gently.  _ Are you ok?

_ “Yeah. I’m fine.” I bite out. Aurora raises an eyebrow. _

Don’t try, Leilah. You are my champion. You are also young.

_ “I’m nineteen!” I protest. _

You are very young to our standards. And you really are pushing yourself too hard.

_ “I have to help!”  _

You are young and still growing into yourself.  _ Aurora doesn’t flinch at all. From my outburst.  _ I’ve been talking to Daamien a little bit. 

_ “What does that have to do with anything?”  _

You and him are remarkably alike. Starshadow and I are born from the same plane. Daamien and you were both born on Runeterra. Perhaps you can talk to him about things.  _ Aurora suggests.  _

_ “What, that he’ll tell me I’m pushing myself too far too?” _

_ “ _ **_You are certainly not doing yourself any favors going into things head long._ ** _ ” Daamien speaks up. I jump from my position next to Aurora and float above them. Aurora gives a soft smile to him and offers her hand. Daamien has the same look as he helps Aurora to her feet. He turns back to me. “ _ **_Sorry, your anger woke me up. Aurora filled me in._ ** _ ” _

_ I start to grab my hair sharply. I feel cornered. Everyone I ever knew is against me. Starshadow takes my magic. Aurora won’t understand. Daamien… Daamien’s insane right now. No one is helping me! _

_ “What is this? Gang up on Leilah?” I snap. Daamien closes his eyes and struggles to breath.  _

_ “ _ **_Leilah, I need… you to… calm down…_ ** _ ” He struggles to breath. His body is pulsing brightly. His ridges are growing as his back starts to slouch.  _

_ “Why should I? Everyone I know is basically trying to control me!” I scream. _

_ “ _ **_Where… did this… come from?_ ** _ ” Daamien’s struggling to stop his transformation. _

_ “What’s this?” I demand. _

_ “ _ **_The… Anger…_ ** _ ” Daamien struggles to point out. I blink and look at my magic. I’ve never seen it so dark. The sight of it makes me pull back. Daamien lets out a gasp and falls to his knees panting. I cover my mouth and close my eyes. _

_ “I’m sorry!” I yelp. Daamien groans. I open my eyes to see Aurora helping him up. The ridges are still angry and pulsing. Daamien groans as he stands up. _

_ “ _ **_It’s… alright. My mentor… he was… madder than that…_ ** _ ” Daamien waves his hand. Aurora looks like a child next to his hulking body. Daamien’s eyes are bright red. Even then, there’s still a kindness in his eyes. Both Aurora and Daamien look at me in sympathy. _

_ “Why are you being kind? You are an Aspect, one that Pantheon hates! You are a Darkin that only recently got their mind back!” I lash out. This time, my arms wrap around my chest. I know I’m angry and wrong. _

Leilah, I was the only Aspect left in the stars that tried to help Starshadow. I am literally the Aspect of Hope.  _ Aurora scoffs. _

_ “ _ **_And I am a healer that vowed to never hurt another. My mind is still… A little off, but Aurora has been helping me get through the worst of them._ ** _ ” Daamien points out. I feel tears come out of my eyes. My hands try to catch them, but they slip past. Daamien’s large hand touches my shoulder. I flinch away. A kind, light hand reaches my other shoulder. _

_ “Leave me alone.” I snap. Aurora sighs and shakes her head. _

_ “ _ **_We’re not leaving, Leilah. You need us._ ** _ ” Daamien pulls me into a hug. I struggle for a moment before relaxing and crying into his chest. I might be in my mind, but even then I can’t stop my legs from trembling. They give out. Daamien and Aurora keep me upright as we just float there.  _

_ I don’t know how long I’ve been in my mind, just crying my heart out. Daamien’s ridges shrink and soften, so I’m being held by two normal sized people. They rub rub my back gently. I feel so much calmer by the time Starshadow appears. The only indication that Starshadow is here is when his tail taps my back. I peek from their embrace to see Starshadow in all his glowing glory. _

_ “ _ I started up a fire in the real world. _ ” Starshadow informs us. Aurora opens her arms up for him to join. He shrinks down to a smaller size and slithers up to my neck. His scales are warm as they drape around my neck. I can’t help keep crying. _

_ “Why?” I gasp out. Starshadow’s body tightens slightly.  _

_ “ _ **_Why what?_ ** _ ” Daamien tries to help me open up. I let him. _

_ “I... Ionia, Ixtal, Bilgewater, Targon, Demacia… Why would they think my parents were abusive? Why am I being told to stop?” I cry. _

Because you are getting too good, Leilah.  _ Aurora strokes my hair.  _ You have the magic and you aren’t stopping. Yrael, he sees a child with pain in her eyes and she’s still kind.

_ “I’m not a child.” I mumble. _

_ “ _ You are an almost adult trapped in a teenager’s body. He doesn’t see the years you’ve spent growing as an individual. You’ve stood up to those that hate you, you’ve handled being tortured, you helped capture a demon. You are so strong, Leilah, and so delicate at the same time. _ ” Starshadow tries to explain. Words catch in my throat, but he knows my question. “ _ You haven’t been home in years, Leilah. You barely see Yone when you can. You bounce around constantly after being stuck in one spot for a long time of your life. It’s a shocking change in everything. The only thing you had was kind words of encouragement, something you would have grown up with your parents. Now, you have an elder, someone you would have respected in your people, accusing your parents of failing you. You run, unable to handle someone calling your parents abusers. Then you push yourself hard to heal people who are dying. _ ” _

_ “How do you know?” _

Oh, Leilah. I’ve watched you since Pantheon found you. Daamien is a healer for all types of issues, mind included.  _ Aurora soothes. _

**_“I know how you think, Leilah. And I am more in touch with Starshadow than you. I just told him everything he needed to know and have him explain._ ** _ ” _

_ “You’re ganging up on me.” I groan, but don’t try to escape. Starshadow wiggle his head to look directly into my eyes. _

_ “ _ Leilah, I care. You are amazing, with your growth in magic. You’ve done a great job growing your magic. You need to let your body rest, though. All this pushing, you’ll hurt yourself. Magic is like an organ. It needs to be exercised and rested. _ ” Starshadow instructs. I sigh and nod my head. _

_ “I’m sorry. For everything.” I whisper. Starshadow touches his head to mine. _

_ “ _ You broke, Leilah. That can happen to anyone. _ ” Starshadow comforts me. I glance over to my magic. It’s bright. There’s no taint of anger in it. It’s… comforting again. _

_ “Thank you.” I whisper into his scales. I close my eyes and leave back to reality, feeling their love for me as I leave. _

When I come to, There’s a soft fire crackling in front of me. Starshadow’s body is coiled in my arms. He must have slithered into my arms when he found me asleep. I’m warm and more relaxed than I remember being for a long time. I reach up and start to gently stroke Starshadow’s scales. He twitches slightly.

_ I’m going to keep talking with Daamien and Aurora, if you don’t mind.  _ Starshadow remarks.

“Ok.” I whisper. His body curls into mine more. I carefully pull him onto the scarf and carefully build a nest around him while trying to keep him close to the fire. He shifts slightly before letting out a deep breath back to sleep. I let out a soft sigh and just think.

_ When did I become so angry? I’m not like this. It’s just not me. Mother and Father would have never approved of my behaviour to everyone. Not to mention that they are right. I was being rather rash. When did this happen? _ I stare into the fire. It’s sparks pop and crackle into the air. I glance down at my hands.  _ This… This isn’t me. I’m not like this.  _ A sharp spark brings my hands into clarity. I narrow my eyes. There’s something different on my right hand. In the center of my palm... 

**MINOR WARNING HERE.**

I never saw this before, or even felt it, but there’s a shard of something blue stuck there.  _ Right where Grena stabbed me… _ I reach for the shard with my left hand. It’s no use. The shard is stuck under my skin. I wish I could have used a knife or something sharp. There’s nothing for me to use to cut the skin. I bite my lip and reach it out to the fire. The shard glows brighter, resisting the warmth. My skin turns a little red. I wince from the heat before lowering my hand in. The smell of burning flesh… It’s certainly not comfortable. I grab my mouth with my left hand to avoid screaming. Starshadow is still-

**Bad part over.**

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Starshadow snaps. His tail yanks my hand away. I quickly reach for the glowing blue shard and pull it out. Warmth floods my body. Starshadow’s body also grows unexpectedly. He looks at his body, stunned, before turning back to me.  _ Is that what’s been causing your crazy mood swings? _

“I don’t know. I feel warmer. And a little bit more relaxed.” I answer.

_ What do you think about your crazy suicide mission? _

“I still think that someone may need help, but I don’t think that we would have been teleported so far away from them. We were found by Grena, we’re needed by Grena.” I answer. Starshadow’s head rises a little bit with an approving nod.

_ That sounds like the Leilah I know and love. By the way, Daamien lent some of his magical prowess to help you heal those men. So, on top of you dealing with a True Ice shard and magical exhaustion, you and Daamien did a remarkable job, though Daamien says that that sort of thing was an easy day to him… _

“Since when was he cocky?” I snort.

_ Oh, that wasn’t cocky. He was that strong of a healer. He could have healed an army in a day without breaking a sweat. That was his usual day. _

“Oh.”

_ Yeah. Oh. You’ve got a lot to live up to. _

“Good to know.”

_ Ah, don’t feel daunted, Leilah. He had centuries of training. You’ve only healed a few months without being sick. You’ve got a long life ahead of you. _

“Immortality.”

_ Sorta, as long as YOU DON’T DIE OR TRY TO HURT YOURSELF!  _ Starshadow retorts.

“What was I supposed to do? There was something in my hand. Apparently the thing that’s been draining us. If I waited for you to wake up, who knows what else would have happened?”

_ You wake me up?  _

“You wanted to talk with Daamien and Aurora.”

_ I can always talk to them when you’re asleep. I just wanted to talk with them about what we can do to make sure this won’t happen a second time. You hurting yourself was not something I was prepared to see when I woke up… _

“I told you I needed to get it out.”

_ And if you waited for me to wake up, I would have pierced the spot without causing your hand to burn. _

“Magic would heal me quickly. See?” I open my palm to Starshadow. As I said, it’s completely healed. I close my eyes and pull my weak magic to find any more magic traces that could affect me. When I open them again, there’s no sign of any other magic. Granted, there’s only been one magic time that has invaded my body, but it’s nice to check.

_ I do not like the fact that you would rather injure yourself in rather heinous ways- _

“It was to make sure you wouldn’t get hurt either.” I mumble. Starshadow’s body relaxes.

_ I appreciate your desire to keep me safe, but you are my responsibility to take care of. You are my bonded. I’d rather suffer a little scratch than you suffer being burned. _

“Fine. Next time I’ll wake you up.”

_ And next time you start running off and going crazy, I’m going to scan you for magic. Deal? _

“Deal.” I agree. Starshadow’s head bumps into my chest. His head is large enough to rest easily in one hand. He wraps his body around mine in a very tight snakey hug. 

_ For a duo that are in each other’s heads, you really need to work on your communication.  _ Starshadow smirks.

“We both need help.” I tease back.

_ You are young. I’m very old. _

“And you are emotionally stunted from being bullied.”

_...Fine. Maybe I could use some help… _

“Finally getting over your ego?”

_ Go to sleep. Your magic is still a little under.  _ Starshadow rolls his head before pushing me to the abandoned scarf. I don’t resist and let him pull me back to sleep. WHen I wake up again, it’s to a giant blue hand holding me by my waist and Starshadow’s hood flaring furiously at a redhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, be honest, how many of you were surprised at Leilah's behaviour of lashing out, even when she's been through all she has been? I've been doing a lot of thinking about that girl and even when she's angry, she wouldn't lash out or push herself as hard as she did. Starshadow, Aurora, and Daamien all gave her a pass because she's been through so much and she's young, but even then, she's a sweet girl that isn't violent by nature, so what caused her to be so angry? 
> 
> Sory for throwing little subtleties at you guys. I hope that they make the story more interesting and make you want to reread other chapters to verify. Speaking of which. I've got a massive clue in the beginning of the story. It's before twenty chapters. I'm curious to hear how many people can find the subtle hints. 
> 
> There was a poll where I asked if you wanted to hear from others. Truth be told, I want to write them, But Starshadow has and gives others knowledge that could potentially spoil Extraordinary, so I'm afraid that's going to have to wait.
> 
> Above all else, I truly hope your days are as sunny as mine and it's extraordinary because you are in this world today.


	43. A New Species

“What are you?” This… creature with blue eyes stares directly into mine, mostly because he’s holding me. Otherwise, I would most certainly not be able to look him in the eye. Starshadow hisses angrily. His hood is flaring and he’s squeezing the creature’s wrist tightly, but the being holding me almost doesn’t seem to notice. The only reason why I think almost is because I feel the creature’s fingers squeeze tighter against my waist in slight discomfort. He flexes and tenses. I can barely manage to squeeze my hand between his fingers. I struggle to push against his grip, but it’s just too much.

“I’m… human. Can… you let… me… go?” I gasp out. His head tilts to the left.

“You are interesting. Humans… so frail, but you don’t seem afraid. Not to mention I have never seen a human’s hair be so sparkly. There is white hair here, but starry?” The creature observes. He spins me to the right, making me almost sideways. “And the eyes. Two tones, two types. That isn’t a normal human.”

I remain silent now, not sure how to help his curiosity.  _ What happened, Starshadow? _

_ There was a lumbering thumping coming towards us. I didn’t want to wake you up, so I might have taken most of our magic to keep an eye out and let you rest… I confronted him, asked him what he wanted. He started to talk to me with interest when he noticed the fire in the cave. He reached into the cave and somehow managed to grab you. I tried to get him to release you, but he has a strong grip. He was claiming that if he didn’t get to talk to you, he would find you useless, so I gave some magic back to wake you up. Now, go work your magic. And I mean the one that somehow makes most people you’ve met want to be your best friend. _

_ Thanks, Starshadow.  _ I deadpan in my head. I refocus on the creature holding me. “What are you?” I try to start a conversation with the one holding me.

“You do not recognize my species? You are not from Freljord then.” He observes. I blink at his assessment. He’s quite intelligent.

“No, I’m not. I’m from Targon. Near the base of a mountain my people call Mount Targon.” I say honestly. If he’s really smart, there’s no point in trying to deceive him. He’s also holding me by my waist and his grip is barely affected by Starshadow’s attempts. Definitely best not to irritate him. Honestly would certainly be the best policy here. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me who you are?”

He twists his hand around again. My head almost swipes through snow before he pulls me back upright. I frantically reach over his hand to hold my skirt up, even if my warm leggings are covering all the important things. He observes my reaction to being held upside down. I watch him as calmly as I can. I guess I passed his little test or something as he turns me back upright and brings me close to his face. For a creature like him, I was expecting awful breath. I did not expect his breath to smell… clean. I try not to squirm in his hand.  _ Deep breaths. Stay calm. He hasn’t done anything yet. Hopefully he’s not going to.  _ Everything about him seems… sophisticated. Well, sophisticated for someone wearing furs over his waist only. It’s very… confusing to say the least. Instinctive, intelligent. Strong, gentle. I don’t exactly know what to make of him, but he hasn’t threatened me yet. 

“You have been in a threatening situation before. None of the people who have been held by trolls are as calm as you.” He remarks.

“You’ve been doing a lot of observing.” I state as calmly as I can. Starshadow’s swaying slightly. I can see his tail twitch slightly in unease. 

_ What are you doing?  _ Starshadow doesn’t say anything out loud.

_ Trying to stay calm and get us out alive. Can you ease up on the magic taking? Please?  _ I mentally plead.

_ WHAT? I really don’t like the idea of being small while you are in a rather… compromised position. _

_ He needs to see us as a non-threat. I need you to stop taking my magic. Besides, if he does try anything, I’ll get him to release me, but I need enough magic to do so.  _ I reason.

_ Fine.  _ Starshadow is incredibly reluctant. He lets go of the creature’s wrist. The blue goliath looks curiously at my bonded’s movements as Starshadow slithers up to my neck and buries himself into my scarf.  _ I hate this _ .

“He is a part of you, is he not?”.

“Not exactly. Starshadow, the black snake-”

_ You forgot gorgeous there. ‘Gorgeous black snake’.  _ Starshadow mumbles in my mind.

“-is my bonded. He’s chosen to be my companion for all the years I have left. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect me from any perceived harm. I’m really hoping that you are not one.” I plead a little bit. The creature simply stares at me.

“What’s your name?” His deep voice rumbles. It almost sounds like a purr from how quiet it is.

“My name is Leilah. If you don’t mind, you… don’t seem to be used to someone of my stature talking to you. Not to mention your Demacian is a little rough. How do you know Demacian?” I ask softly. He sits down on a rock above my cave. His left hand, the one not holding me, reaches up to his small beard and starts to pull on it.

“You tend to hear quite a bit of it as the villagers scream and cry. I simply chose to learn more than the common ‘They’re here’, ‘run’, and ‘fight back’. The villages are certainly not quiet. Interesting. You give information so freely, yet you hide things as well.” He changes the subject quickly, turning back to me. Smart.

“I give information freely as I would rather cooperate with another intelligent being.” I reply openly. He nods his head.

“An interesting tactic. Though, what would have happened if you gave all the information I required and I no longer found a use for you? I could just kill you right now.” He tightens his grip on my waist. I grunt. He keeps squeezing me tighter and tighter. I yelp as it gets much harder to breath. I’ve had enough of this treatment and flick my hand forward. My magic eagerly responds. He stiffens, feeling his body freeze and hold still. There’s an exhaustion that immediately presents itself in my core, but I can hold him.  _ It’s been a while since I’ve used my magic to hold someone like that. I’m glad it didn’t fade away. _

“I may have given you information freely, but I did not give you everything I can do.” I retort. I flex my fingers wide and open up his hand. It’s his turn to be surprised as I drop into the snow. Starshadow immediately slithers out of my scarf to his place next to my right ear and my shoulders. I can feel Starshadow smirking.

“Interesting. You are a mage.” The blue man observes. I wave my hand side to side a little bit.

“Kinda? I have magic, but I wasn’t born with it. Can we talk about you then? I’ve been telling you quite a bit about me.” I try to turn it around on him. His muscles bulge against my magic. I barely manage to hold him still, but he doesn’t even twitch. He huffs before glaring at me.

“Why would I do that? I just announced my intentions to kill you. What would happen if I told you everything?” He points out. Starshadow rolls his head.

“I’m not like you, sir. I merely ask for curiosity’s sake. And I don’t think you were going to kill me.” I respond. My palms are getting a little bit sweaty. I clench my hands and try to stay calm and in control. The drain on my magic is getting a bit much.

“Oh?”

“If you were, you would have killed me while I was asleep. Starshadow greeted you, you saw the fire, and you picked me up. I’m assuming Starshadow started to hiss when you picked me up. You held me and waited for me to wake up. You had all the time in the world, but you did not use it.” I state. He tilts his head before letting out a loud, raucous laugh.

“You are smart as well. Very well. Let me go. I will be happy to simply just talk with you.” He widens his mouth into a smile. Little tusks pop through his lips. His body no longer fights my magic. I bite my lip lightly before dissipating the magic. He stretches a little bit, but remains still. He leans forward a little bit and offers me the same hand that held me. “How about we start over? The name’s Trundle.” His entire behaviour has changed. It’s more friendly and open as opposed to his dominating presence from before.

“Pleasure meeting you.” I place my hand gingerly in his. It’s tiny compared to his, but he’s so gentle with it. His hand barely dips, but I feel like my entire arm goes up and down. He lets go and settles a little bit.

“You are interesting to say the least. A small, tiny person like yourself with the power to hold anyone at will. I was certainly not expecting that, little one.” He relaxes on the stone. I let my own trepidation fall to the side, but remain standing. 

“Why thank you.” Starshadow states. Trundle glances over at the snake before snorting. He glances at me in amusement.

“He’s a self centered one for sure.” Trundle snorts good naturedly. Starshadow huffs in annoyance, but he’s relaxed. I can tell because his tail isn’t beating my back into bruises. I’m a little confused at his pleasantry. He notices and snorts. “In most trolls, intelligence and discussions are not supreme. As you can see, I am different.”

“I’m sure that there are intelligent beings all over the world. I’m more intrigued by your openness once I showed you what I can do. The Freljord is a cold place. Most people I’ve met are forthcoming and direct, as hard as the magic in this land.” I open my arms, trying to show that I am not meaning any offence.

“You feel the magic?” He asks, surprised.

“I was exposed to it. Initial contact with it, I fought off the freezing magic. A shard was lodged in my palm, making me a bit irritable and violent. It’s out now, thankfully. Will you please go back to the original question?” I guide him back. He snorts.

“You are certainly full of surprises. A Targonian, born without magic and became a mage. Even more interesting. You say you were affected by True Ice once. A learned resistance to True Ice. On top of that, you have a magic that can hold people still. Besides, you’ve been incredibly open and kind to me, even with your considerable power. I would rather treat you with the respect you have shown me.” Trundle answers my question.

“You are remarkably understanding.”

“You aren’t human, that’s for sure.” Trundle chortles. “Humans would all be attacking and not listening.” I roll my eyes in annoyance.

“I am a human, just with special gifts.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Interesting. Well.” He rises to his feet. He easily towers over me. He’s like…

“Are your people the ones who attacked the village nearby?” I squeak out. Trundle snorts. His entire posture changes. He’s tense. His hands curl into tight fists and his smile fades to fury.

“Those fools couldn’t wait for the village to stock up. I told them not to, but he refused to listen. I got kicked out for it. Me!” Trundle roars annoyed. He swings a meaty fist into the ground. The force of it is enough to shake the ground under my feet. I yelp as the ground seems to leave my feet. There’s a pull on my magic as Starshadow creates magic steps for me to stand on that don’t shake.

_ Think he’ll try to grab us again?  _ Starshadow sounds a little wary. It’s understandable, as he is kinda rampaging and I may need the magic, but Trundle seems to be only focused on the ground. If anything, I’m an afterthought.

_ I doubt it. _

_ Well, if he does turn on you, will you run? _

_ He’s troubled. I want to help him. _

_ Leilah.  _ Starshadow’s head floats into my face.  _ Why are you like this? _

_ My Father helped my Mother when she was in need. I was born from the kindness. I helped Geras and Lye become good friends. They are inseparable now. I helped Yasuo, and he and Yone are closer than ever. Everything in my life has always had a purpose, of bringing people together, to be better than they were. Trundle… You said he was alone. Maybe I can help him in some way.  _ I explain in my mind.

_ … And I guess that’s where I come in. Someone has to keep an eye on your naive self.  _ Starshadow sighs lightly.  _ We’ll do it your way, but note that I don’t like it. _

_ Noted.  _ I reach up and pat Starshadow’s head. He rubs into my palm for a moment as we wait for Trundle to calm down. 

Trundle continues to beat the ground in fury. I stand on my shadow steps, watching as trees are cleared of snow. He roars a little bit before stopping. The only thing heard is his heavy breathing. He pants, worn out from his rampage before he straightens up a bit and shakes his head. Snow falls off his shoulders as he composes himself.

“Apologies. I did not mean to scare you. It’s simply… frustration.” He apologizes.

“How long have you been on your own?” I ask cautiously. He glances over at me, noticing that I’m standing on the equivalent of thin air.

“Only a month.” He runs a hand through his hair. It’s such a human-like gesture. It both fits and doesn’t fit him.

“How old are you?” I tentatively investigate.

“Trolls age differently, but I would be considered a young adult by your standards. Too young to be taken seriously, old enough to be trusted to survive on my own. Bunch of idiots.” Trundle grumbles. “They call me a coward, weak, dumb. Idiots.”

“Well, you don’t strike me as a weak-minded being.” I keep my voice calm. I feel Starshadow’s body grow a little bit, his hood fluttering against my hair. I absentmindedly reach up to pat his head. He accepts it, but remains silent and vigilant.

“I’m not. Just, those fools.” Trundle starts to calm down. “I have to prove to them that they are complete and utter fools. They don’t understand, raiding a village that has nothing will result in no food for everyone, and then there are those that can fight back.”

I remain silent this time. All I can do is just stand there, waiting for him to calm down. It’s almost poetic. A few minutes ago, he was threatening me. He had me in his grip. Now, I’m trying to see how to help him. I know I should be trying to get back to Ashe, but he seems like he needs help. Ironic. A giant troll standing in front of me, threatened me, and I’d rather stay to see if I can help him. A former threat to a friend.  _ Is this what Daamien did? _

_ All the time. Well, according to him at least.  _ Starshadow whispers in my mind.  _ There’s a reason why he only has ever had one foe, and it’s because they hated the kindness in his heart. _

“Trundle? Would you like some company?” I ask shyly.

“Why would you ask?” He blinks at me, curious.

“You said that you were young enough to be ignored, but old enough to be abandoned. You’re mad at the ones who banished you, and you’re alone. I think you could use a friend.” I explain softly. His mouth softens to a smile and he nods.

“I’ve been alone for long enough. I’d be grateful for the company.” Trundle accepts my offer. I lower myself to the ground and move as elegantly as I can over to his side. He starts to walk away. I find myself almost scrambling to keep up. “Tell me about yourself.”

“How about you tell me about yourself? You’ve heard a lot about me.” I reply. He contemplates it before nodding his acceptance.

“Very well. I’ll start at the beginning then. When I was whelped-” Trundle starts.

“Whelped?” I interrupt quickly. I’m a little confused by his terms.

“I suppose to your kind I was born or created. I was whelped with fifteen others. Twelve did not survive to our first raid. My favorite, the youngest one, died in my arms.” Trundle admits quietly.

“Did she have a name?” I ask quietly, partially because I am out of breath.

“None of us get a name until we reached our first raid. It proves we’re strong enough to survive the harshness of the Freljord.” Trundle mutters quietly. I mentally make a note of that. Troll customs and traditions. That sounds absolutely interesting. “My first raid, I remember being by the Troll who whelped me. He was strong and stoic. That night, she took charge. Literal charge as she wielded a log and started to rampage. She and a few other large trolls terrorized the people. I didn’t understand what they were saying at the time. Remembering now, they were calling for an Iceborn and looking to fight back. One came forward, wielding a sharp glowing-blue scythe. I was grabbing food when she turned to Ice. The Iceborn smashed her. The other trolls roared in retaliation. They fell. I remember one of my sisters that survived grabbed my arm and pulled me with them. That moment, I was entranced. There’s a weapon that can stop a troll, one of the hardiest and most capable of beings, easily. That was when I started to sneak around. I listened to them talk over and over again. I started to understand little things. They would call the woman Warmother. I followed her once I identified her. I spent so many months outside of winter just listening, learning. I figured out how to speak their tongue when another group of travelers came. They stayed for the summer months, speaking another language. You use this language now.” Trundle gestures to me.

“Demacian.” I speak up. Trundle tilts his head before nodding.

“Demacian. Good to know. Anyway, I learned through the years what they said. I always knew where they hid traps, where the Warmother with her ice scythe would be. I told the Chieftain, is that right?” he asks. I nod, encouraging him. “I told my chieftain when she would be gone. For the past few years, our raids have been successful. The past month, We held another raid. As I said, the chieftain wanted to raid them again, while they had nothing but each other. I figured that they would be much harder to raid this time as they would fight harder. We’d kill each other for a few scraps. Better to wait and threaten the children so more would be focused on protecting the young while the younger ones raided. They would think they have enough food to last while our people took food. That’s when I was called a coward and banished. I’ve been wandering ever since.” Trundle finishes quietly. I feel for him, being all alone, but I have to say… as a farmer that understands the harshness of winters… I don’t exactly approve the trolls tactics. As a result I remain silent, unable to support or criticize him. He takes a soft breath before looking at my running self. “What about you?”

“Oh, now that… is one really, really, really long story.” I smirk slightly before telling him everything that could be applied to me. Pantheon saving me at the age of 9. Meeting Taric at sixteen. Climbing the mountain. Meeting Starshadow. Becoming an Aspect. Absorbing a darkin, though I did not tell him that Daamien is a Darkin. Going to Ionia. I surprise myself by being open about what happened to me at Bilgewater. Trundle looks mildly impressed at my successful escape. I don’t give him the chance to interrupt me. I think he understands how hard it is for me to say all this. He’s quiet until the end of my tale. I get to taking down a man so bad he was considered a demon. I described the spirit blossom festival, careful to leave out any identifying people like Yasuo and Jhin… and definitely Yone… I tell him about my experience in Demacia, being held for a crime that I have no control over, per say. The aftermath. Going to Ixtal and meeting a sweet little princess. Still not mentioning any names. I finished with a better telling of my experience with True Ice. I don’t mention Ashe or Grena or Vathcaer. It’s an unfinished story with them afterall. He remains silent at the end of my rather long tale.

“If you were a troll, you would be a queen. I doubt that there are many people, or trolls, who can handle what you have been through.” Trundle comments quietly.

“I really doubt that.” I mumble quietly.

“No, really. Trolls, they have advanced healing that is beyond normal human capabilities. Most of your injuries, they sound like they would leave scars. I will admit, I'm having a little trouble believing you because of the lack of them.” Trundle rumbles. I forgot that my magic pretty much locks me in time. Any injury that’s not great enough to kill me is quickly healed back up. I don’t age. I’m immortal until a fatal blow.

“Well, if something happens that could result in my death if I was a normal human, you can witness my miraculous survival.” I comment lightly.

“Or you can just ask me.” Starshadow remarks. Trundle searches my neck before spotting my bonded.

“You would just support her to make her very impressive.” Trundle comments.

“Not necessarily. My healer here does not need to have to prove she’s telling the truth. She has no reason to lie.” Starshadow points out. Trundle nods.

“She has already stated that she would rather be truthful than lie. Besides, where are we going?” Starshadow asks. We look around. In front of us is a crack. Literally a crack. The entrance dips inside as walls tower over us. It’s definitely taller than Trundle, and he’s huge. I bite my lip and check my pack. There’s definitely food in there, but I am definitely uneasy. I’m not sure if I’m going to last.  _ Don’t worry. We can ration. _

_ I’m more concerned as to how Trundle will take care of himself.  _ I mumble in my head.

_ Fair point. _

“Trundle, will you need food? I don’t see you carrying anything.” I speak up. Trundle glances over his shoulder at me before shrugging.

“I can last a long time. I ate around a week ago and I’m not hungry right now. Trolls are definitely superior to Humans.” Trundle shrugs easily.

“Anything is superior to humans.” Starshadow nods his head agreeably. I roll my eyes in amusement.  _ You can’t say anything. You aren’t a pure human anymore. _

_ I can still speak up for the human population as I was one for the longest time.  _ I mentally protest. Trundle starts to head in. “Wait up!”

“Are you certain you wish to come with me?” Trundle sounds a little surprised. I nod, a little hesitant.

“I’ve come this far with you, haven’t I? What’s a little more?” 

“It’s not suitable for a human.” Trundle grunts. I tense my shoulders and walk into the crack in front of him.

“You said it yourself. I can't possibly be a normal human."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Just wow. Leilah finally admitted she's not an ordinary person. Even if it was out of annoyance or trying to convince someone else, it's the first time she's saying she's not ordinary.
> 
> Anyway, Happy New Years! I know it's technically not the new year yet, I'm sticking to my posting schedule, so celebrations! I hope your days are extraordinary in these times of turmoil!


	44. Into the Depths

_ You’re pushing yourself too hard.  _ Starshadow mumbles quietly into my mind. I tug my scarf closer to my neck and blow into my hands. I’m freezing. There’s so much True Ice surrounding me. I can tell because even stepping on it makes my body freeze. I’ve already lost feeling in my feet from being in constant contact with the stuff. It’s reached my hands now as my body does it’s best to keep myself warm. It’s certainly worse being surrounded by the substance for… I have no idea how long I’ve been here. Day and night don’t reach down here. Starshadow says it’s been a week. I think my rations match it. I gave Trundle some, despite his insistence that he is ok.

“Leilah?” Trundle rumbles. I want to grumble at the ease he walks on the ice. It’s like the cold doesn’t even touch his toes.

“Yeah?” I shiver out. He sighs. I yelp as he pulls me in his arms. My magic immediately floods me with warmth, no longer needing to keep the Ice away. It helps that Trundle’s natural body heat floods my body.

“You should really let us help. Starshadow told me that you're getting dangerously cold.” Trundle scolds me quietly. I pull on my dress a little bit.

“I can handle it.” I stammer.

_ You’ve had contact with the ground for a week. You’re resistant, not immune.  _ Starshadow whispers gently. He’s barely spoken during the week, only telling me when to eat.  _ You need to take care of yourself. _

“You need to take care of yourself. It’s clear that the ice is affecting you.” Trundle echoes. He’s become much more solemn than the troll I met before. Three days in, he stopped talking. I’d guess he’s conserving energy as well. I snuggle into Trundle’s warmth.

“I don’t want to be a burden.” I mutter quietly.

_ You don’t have to worry about being a burden, Leilah. People are a burden to you, not the other way around.  _ Starshadow does his best to comfort me in his own way.

“You barely weigh anything. I doubt you are that much of a burden.” Trundle chortles, a small peek at the friendly troll I know.

“I have such a responsibility on my shoulders, Trundle. It’s my job to help. To be there for those that need it. I help them where I can.”

“Who told you you had to be that?”

“I carry the Aspect of the Borealis. I have to help.”

“Why?” Trundle persists. I hesitate, thinking of how to explain.

“When I was growing up... I was always told the stories of the stars. Each night I’d look up to the peak of Mount Targon... The stars gather there. A yellow borealis would always swirl around the top, through the clouds. I’d go to sleep each night looking at the stars, watching the lights flow and sway... Each morning, the borealis would remain. It gave me the hope that each day would be great.” I tell him. Trundle’s arms tighten lightly around mine.

_ You never told me that.  _ Starshadow seems a little off.

“You never asked.” I rub my hands together as quickly as I can. I’m absolutely freezing. I can see Ice cling to my hair tightly. I reach up and gingerly pull off a shard. Immediately my hand freezes, indicating that it’s the cold magic of the Freljord in it. Starshadow grabs it in his mouth and pulls it off. I’m a little stunned seeing his mouth flash from black scales to the dark blue of True Ice and back as he tosses it away. “Can I do that?”

_ Sorry, Leilah. I’m a celestial, technically not bound to the limitations of humanity. I can change my form as I’d like. Aurora’s illusions certainly do help a lot when convincing other magics that I am a part of them.  _ Starshadow’s tail pats my head condescendingly.  _ And why didn’t you mention that? I thought I knew why Aurora picked you, but that changes a lot. You constantly amaze me. _

“You said that you aren’t a celestial anymore. Does it even matter?” I stammer out.

_ I guess after a few years, it doesn’t. You said you aren’t human like a week ago, but born one. Consider my history as well. A celestial isn’t limited to a physical body, but I’m a celestial with a Darkin in my soul with that magic grounding me to Runeterra. Not a celestial, but was born one. Kinda like you being not being a human? _

“Ok, I might have been hasty when I said I wasn’t human.” I snuggle into Trundle’s chest. He’s surprisingly warm for a creature with blue skin. I can feel my toes a little bit. I squirm a little bit in discomfort as feeling comes back.

_ A little? Try a lot! Stop trying to prove you are something you’re not!  _ Starshadow barks in my head.  _ You’re a little farmer girl from Targon that was chosen to be an Aspect. You climbed a mountain that many couldn’t. You are a host to a Darkin. You’ve done so much already. You don’t have anything to prove.  _ Starshadow curls up into my scarf and nuzzles my cheek. I gently places a freezing hand on Starshadow’s back to try to tell him I’m listening and I’m sorry.

“It’s interesting to hear one side of a conversation and not exactly know what’s being said.” Trundle remarks. I glow a little bit as Starshadow pulls away.

“Apologies, Trundle. It’s our way of speaking. Leilah is too used to talking out loud to do the more sophisticated method of communication, and I find talking to be… too easy for people to eavesdrop. Sometimes we’ll switch because when I talk to her, I want it to mean something while she mind speaks when she can’t talk anymore.” Starshadow explains. His voice is raspy from days of disuse. I gently cup him with my hands.

“I can understand that. Sometimes, in the early days of my exile, I would talk to myself. It took a while before I realized that I wasn’t talking to anyone.” Trundle attempts to understand.

“I don’t know if it’s quite like that. Starshadow and I are very rarely apart. The last time we were separated for more than a day was in Bilgewater. Even then, it wasn’t by choice and conversation… wasn’t a high priority.”

We’re silent as he keeps moving. I feel my body stop tingling as my magic finally bats off the last of Freljord Ice. Starshadow snuggles into my scarf. He’s been getting smaller and smaller, trying to help me conserve my magic to survive. I can’t help myself as my magic pools in my hands to try to make him big again. I don’t like seeing him so small.

“Leilah, you need to conserve your magic.” Starshadow wriggles out of my grasp. Apparently he’s making a conscious effort to include Trundle in our conversation.

“I don’t like seeing you so small.”

“It would be best you reserve your strength, Leilah. I truly do not wish to see you suffer more than you already clearly are.” Trundle interjects. I sigh and let my magic fade. Starshadow snuggles into my scarf.

_ I’ll need to sleep. You used up too much magic, Leilah.  _ Starshadow yawns with a scolding tone. I feel incredibly guilty, forcing Starshadow to sleep just so I would have enough magic to defend myself.

“Starshadow?” I whisper quietly. There’s no response. A tear falls out of my right eye. I try to wipe away the escapee, only for more to come out. Even my nose joins in. I try to be quiet, but a sob sneaks on through.

“He’ll be alright, Leilah. He told me that sleeping was the best way to make sure he doesn’t take more magic. Once you’ve rested and eaten your fill, he’ll be back to his larger self.” Trundle tries to comfort me.

“I… I know, but… Starshadow’s just such a strong, demanding presence. I don’t know what to do with him asleep.” I choke out. A sob breaks out of my throat and I let out my tears for a few minutes. Poor Trundle has to hear me cry. Knowing that Trundle is listening I do my best to pull it together. Soon it’s only hiccups coming out of my mouth.

“...Starshadow told me that you loved to hear tales of the stars.” Trundle changes the subject. His arms shift a little bit. His eyes dart around, uneasy. I glow slightly, feeling for the troll. With everything I’ve heard about his village, emotions are not something he commonly encounters.

“Y-y-yes, that’s right.” I hiccup out. His posture relaxes a tiny bit.

“My village may not have many tales of the stars here, but there are old stories of past Troll kings.” Trundle offers. His shoulders tense a tiny bit. I’d guess that he’s worried that I wouldn’t want to hear them.

“Troll kings?” I engage him. I hear a relieved sigh as we keep making our way through the black ice. 

“Yes. Troll kings are trolls that have become well known and respected through other villages. Whether it’s through cunning, sheer strength, or speed, the troll kings were the best at what they did. Other trolls would follow them as the Kings would look after them all. There hasn’t been a king the last few decades.”

“How come?” I do my best to distract myself. Trundle stops for a moment. He has to set me down as we’ve come to a bit of a crack in a wall. My feet immediately feel frozen, but I see why. The crack is in the way of our path. I’d fit easily, but Trundle would need to put me down momentarily to be able to squeeze through. I decide to go ahead, but stay somewhat close to Trundle to listen to his story. And help him if he’s got stuck.

“The Troll Kings were often found in times of turmoil, when trolls needed a leader.” Trundle grunts out. I turn around and notice that his muscles are stopping him from getting through. I wrap my tiny hands around his wrist and tug as much as I can. Trundle lets off a little laugh at my pitiful attempt. I growl slightly at the slight and pull my magic. Everything is immediately sore, but I have the extra strength I need to help him. Immediately Trundle grunts as he’s slowly pulled through the stuck spot. He’s released with a pop. I yelp and fall backwards. My butt doesn’t hit Ice as I fall over a cliff.

I scream and throw my hands down. As I do so, I slam into a solid surface. My spine yelps in pain. Gingerly rubbing it, I carefully stand up. Looking down, my stomach drops all the way to the bottom of the chasm. I can’t see it, but I’m sure there is one. I could have died if I didn’t have my magic. I gulp and gingerly try taking a step. I feel my magic hold, but it’s absolutely terrifying to see. My hand instinctively rises to my scarf and checks on my best friend and brother in these crazy adventures of mine. He’s exactly where I left him. I don’t even think he woke up. I let out a sigh and focus on getting back to Trundle.

Looking up, the troll’s reaching over the edge with no concern if he’d fall over. In fact, I think he’s leaning over more than I would if I was on a cliff. Trundle’s face is full of surprise as he starts to pull back from the edge a little bit.

“Wait!” I cry out. I yelp as my magic becomes a little unstable and falters a little bit. I drop a few inches before it stays under my feet. I can feel my magic fading more than I would like it to. When I try to step up, the magic under my feet shakes a little. I carefully put my feet directly under me. Trundle’s arm is once again reaching out to me. I bite my lip and look at the distance between Trundle’s hand and me.

“What’s wrong?” Trundle calls out.

“I don’t think I have enough magic to last me until I can get back.” I whimper slightly.

“Wait a moment. Maybe I have something that you can grab.” Trundle offers. He’s about to leave as my magic starts to get shaky again.

“We don’t have a moment! Trundle, I need your help.” I plead. He looks very uneasy, but he leans over, a little farther than before. He still doesn’t reach me, a good two feet above my own arms. I take a deep breath and look directly at him. His face panics slightly. “I’m not going to let go and fall to my death, I promise. I’m going to put all the magic I have in this jump. Please, don’t let go.”

With that said, I leap upwards. The magic under my left foot drops just in time for another to appear under my right. I climb one more step before my foot runs on air. Desperate, I reach out for Trundle’s hand.

His hand grasps around my right wrist a little too tightly. I can feel it snap from his grip, but I’m not falling anymore. A few tears leak out of my eyes as he pulls me up. I can’t tell if it’s from relief or pain. Maybe a bit of both. Trundle carefully sets me on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break your wrist.” Trundle apologizes quickly. I cradle my right arm against my chest as I pat his shoulder with my left.

“I’d rather have a broken wrist than die from a very deep fall. Thank you for saving my life, Trundle.” I say graciously. He reaches up and pats my shoulder.

“You’ll need to get that looked at when we get out of here.” Trundle remarks.

“A good night’s rest and my wrist should be back to normal. You were telling me about Troll Kings?” I prompt him before turning my attention to our surroundings. The ledge we’re carefully treading on is just barely wide enough for Trundle to walk forward.

For a crack in the ground, the chasm in front of us is huge. The sky is officially night time, with small stars peaking through the ice. I scan the sky, trying to see if there are any stars I know. With how small the crack is, I really doubt it. Still, the sky is split in two, a bar of darkness separating the two.  _ I wish that I could cast magic to make a borealis appear. Too much magic was used already. I’m going to be absolutely sore when I get out of here.  _ I narrow my eyes slightly. From what I can tell, the crack in the sky isn’t jagged… There’s a symmetry in it.

“The Troll King Grubgrack is my inspiration, much like Pantheon is yours. According to my Mother, Grubgrack has always been smart, even as a pup. That King, he had many followers that would happily follow him. Centuries ago, a couple of Warmothers decided to attempt to come together to wipe out the trolls and make them afraid to come in. Grubgrack predicted where they would come and instructed my people how to defend ourselves. He then started a rumor among the Freljord humans, that my people would demand a price for their arrogance. It worked for a few decades, but then the humans forgot their fear and began to fight again.”

“Sounds fascinating.” I mutter absentmindedly.

“Something on your mind?” Trundle picks up on my unusual focus on the sky.

“Do you see the crack in the sky?” I ask him. I feel him look up. I carefully lean over and point out the darkness in the sky.

“Yes. Why?” Trundle asks.

“Cracks don’t have a symmetry to them, do they?” I point out. Trundle’s shoulder tenses slightly before he looks even more carefully around us.

“That’s not a crack, Leilah. That’s a bridge.” He sounds a little breathy.

“Where’s the bridge going to?” I ask a little nervously.

“Don't worry too much, Leilah. I’ll protect you should things get bad.” Trundle does his best to comfort me.

“It’s alright, Trundle. Take care of yourself first, alright?”

“Starshadow would not be pleased if you were found to be hurt.” Trundle remarks.

“Did he get to you too?” I ask, exasperatedly.

“‘A weak yet such an important Aspect’ He called you. I would have to say that you aren’t weak for handling True Ice conditions for as long as you have. Your kindness is also very sweet. I understand his desire for your safety and, to be quite frank, I have a personal desire for you to be safe as well.”

“You’ve been talking too much to Starshadow while I’ve been resting.” I grumble quietly. Trundle snorts in amusement as we keep heading down. The icy path never once brings us up to the surface.

“Do you have anything to eat?” He changes the topic.

“A little bit of food left, but I’m trying to save it.” The walls are getting colder. It feels like the Ice itself is reaching past it’s physical limitations and trying to freeze me to death. I shiver a little bit. Trundle reaches up to cradle me into his chest. I squirm a little bit at the indignity at being held like a child, but it’s not like I can do much.

“Eat up. You said that you used the last of your magic to let me catch you. You need magic if we encounter anything bad down there.” Trundle orders. I sigh and pull out my little pack. The only thing that’s left in there is some bread and jerky. I grab the last bit of jerky in there and yank it apart with my teeth. My magic comes back a little bit at the first swallow of food. My right wrist doesn’t feel as tender. I finish off the meat, fully repairing my wrist before putting the rest away. Trundle notices and does not approve. “Finish it.”

“We don’t know what else is out there. Besides, my wrist is all healed up.” I remark and show it to him. He glances down to see my normal sized wrist rotating easily. He huffs a little bit.

“At least rest. I’ll wake you up if anything wrong happens to come to us.” Trundle compromises. I nod and let myself drift off to sleep.

I have nightmares the entire time I sleep. I see Starshadow blink out of existence, the light on the top of the mountain disappear. I hear so many people screaming and crying for help. People dying. I swear I reach out to them, but I can’t get to them in time. One nightmare stands out in particular.

_ “You should have saved them!” Yone’s echoey voice yells. I look up to see the brothers fighting. Yone looks furious, Yasuo resigned. Yone’s throwing all his strength onto Yasuo. Yasuo is barely holding on. I run between them and hold up my hands. _

_ “Stop! Yone, Please stop this! He’s your brother! You love him!” I scream. He doesn’t even look at me, glaring at his brother. There are tears in Yone’s eyes as he swings his swords forward again. A sharp blow of wind flies past me and into Yone. I cover my face as my hair whips past. Yone tumbles to the ground in a heap. I turn around to see Yasuo with tears in his eyes. _

_ “You let them die!” Yone roars. He charges again, but it’s sloppy, like he’s not in the moment. His strikes are slow. Yasuo’s own tears fall down his face as he defends himself, but he’s also not in the mindset to fight. Both brothers start to mark each other. Their blood stains the ground. _

_ “Yone, you know I would have died as well.” Yasuo’s guilty voice breaks my heart. I try to put a hand on Yone’s shoulder, but I fade through it. _

_ “Yone, stop this!” I scream as I try to again and again. Each time I fade through his body. I cover my mouth and let the sobs choke through as I realize I died. Yone looks so unsteady, like he’s barely hanging on. _

_ “You have blamed me for everything, always wanting to die to see Leilah again.” Yasuo confirms it. I died in the Freljord. I was reckless going with Trundle on low rations, and they heard I died. _

_ “YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY HER NAME!” Yone howls like a wounded animal. His strikes fall faster, becoming more of the swordsman I remember him being. He attacks Yasuo over and over again. Yasuo doesn’t fight. Instead, he lets Yone mark him over and over again. Tears fall down my face as I watch Yone murder his brother. _

_ “I’ll see you soon, Leilah. Good bye, Yone. I love you, brother.” With his last breath, Yasuo passes, still standing as a warrior should. Yone blinks awake as he realizes what he’s done. _

_ “Yasuo.” Yone’s voice cracks. He helps his brother down to the ground and gently closes the man’s eyes. The rains open up above us. Blood blooms across the land. Yone’s face is hidden from me. I scurry around him and stare at his eyes. They’re blank. They don’t see anything. He’s… he’s died from heartbreak. _

“No! Yone!” I scream out as I wake up. I flail around searching for my swordsman, wanting him to be alright, to tell him I was alive and to not hurt Yasuo. That Yasuo didn’t do what Yone thought he did. Something holds me tightly.

_ Leilah?  _ Starshadow’s soft voice murmurs in my head.

_ Where’s Yone? And Yasuo?  _ I whimper in my mind. Starshadow wriggles in my scarf, a little bigger than half my neck.

_ They’re in Ionia.  _ Starshadow sounds a little confused.

_ I have to stop them from fighting! They’ll kill each other!  _ I try to get out of whatever’s holding me, but it won’t let me go.

_ Ah. Leilah, You had a nightmare. You’re in the Freljord, remember?  _ Starshadow reminds me. With those words, I feel the cold of the realm sink into my body. I shiver violently and tuck into Trundle’s arms.

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m here.” I whisper.

“Are you alright, Leilah?” Trundle asks.

“Nightmare.” I tell him. My throat is choked up from it. I wipe the ice from my eyes as I do my best to remain calm.

“Who’s Yone?” Trundle’s innocent question has me flinching. Starshadow pokes his head out.

“He’s her lover, if you will. He’s waiting for her.” Starshadow answers Trundle. The steps beneath us are smooth. He walks over Ice easily. I blush a little bit and bury Starshadow in my scarf.  _ Thank you for the warmth. _

“Lover?” Trundle sounds a little confused at the terminology.

“I guess you wouldn’t have that term. A lover is someone that isn’t related to you, but you can’t help but feel butterflies in your stomach. They make you feel like you need to be better, to be someone they can be proud of, but that you would accept them no matter what.” Starshadow makes a grandiose speech. Trundle looks confused.

“Lovers are what people are before they decide to have a family.” I simplify it for Trundle. I don’t know how trolls reproduce, so I try to be clinical, even if it’s a bit of an uncomfortable topic for me...

“Ah. You wish to have pups with this Yone?” Trundle asks. I glow a bright color as Starshadow flat out laughs in my head. He always loves to hear someone make me uncomfortable.

“NO!” I squeak.

‘“Then you two are not Lovers?” Trundle sounds confused. By this point, I’m sure that Starshadow would be on the floor cackling like mad if he could.

“Well, lovers are before people have a family.” I try to correct him.

“Ah. So you are before whelping.” Trundle remarks. I smack his chest and wince at the identical sting in my own. I glance over his shoulder to see where we are. It’s a little hard to make out through my own glow, but I think we’re walking on a frozen body of water.

“Well, it’s complicated. Where are we?”

“I’m not entirely sure. I started to walk onto the lake before you woke up. Look.” Trundle gestures forward. I look in the direction he’s pointing.

Based on how round the lake is, I’d say a group of people are sitting directly in the middle. They look to be covered in furs and armor. Apparently, they aren’t affected by the True Ice of the lake. A woman stands inside their circle. She’s much taller than the rest of the humans inside. She stands out in the group, with dark blue regal dress that reaches the ground and a crown-mask adorning her head. She looks at us. I notice her skin is a pale blue. Her lips are dark blue, completely missing any blood. Her pale blue hair swishes gently behind her, tied in a long braid.

Her arm rises a little bit. A few Icicles rupture out of the ice and shoots towards us. I scramble up to Trundle’s shoulders to give him his arms back. He helps me grab a hold of his neck as the claws reach us. Right as they sink into the ground, The woman seems to blink into appearance right in front of us. Trundle balls his fists up as I try to make myself small.

“ _ Who are you? _ ” Her raspy Ethereal voice echoes in our ears. She stands in front of us, completely relaxed. I loosen up. Trundle feels my body posture and eases up as well.

“Trundle.” My friend replies.

“ _ And the being on your shoulder? _ ”

“M-m-my name is Leilah, miss.” I answer as politely as I can. I’m afraid. She sounds like she’s made of power. “Might I ask who you are?”

“ _ What is in a name? I suppose if you must call me by one, I shall give you my title. I am the Blind One. _ ” She introduces herself. I blink and narrow my eyes a little bit. There’s nothing for her to look out of, if she is human.

“Blind one?” I ask quietly. Her head tilts to face me directly. I flinch a little bit in fear.

“ _ Interesting. I’m sure that I passed down warnings… Yet your magic is not Freljordian. It’s far too warm and soothing to be born here. The snake is also of interest. Might I see him? _ ” Blind One opens up her palm. I don’t even have a chance to respond when Starshadow peeks out from his hiding spot. I feel his body shiver from the cold as he makes the long trek down to her hand.

“Starshadow, Ice Witch. My name is Starshadow.” He introduces himself rather formally. He’s not mouthing off or making comments about me or… anything. He’s just shivering in the cold and letting Blind One examine him.  _ Leilah, warm me up or you get cold scales on your neck. _

_ You could have just asked.  _ I flick a hand forward. Starshadow stops shivering as he warms up. Still, he remains steady to Blind One’s presence. She pulls him up to her face and inspects him like she can still see. She tilts him left and right. He stays perfectly still, even allowing his hood to flair slightly, like he’s letting her see all of him. Her hand reaches up and starts to stroke him.

“ _ A celestial, bonded to a human and absorbed a fallen healer. What about this girl makes her so treasured? _ ” She hands Starshadow back. He makes his way back to his warm spot on my neck as fast as he can. Thankfully his scales are not freezing my neck as I let go of the magic keeping him warm.

“I’m just a girl-”

“ _ With nightmares of failing others. You fear losing those close to you. Your parents. Geras. Lye. _ ” The Blind One starts to list the people in my life that I have lost.

“How do you-” I feel a sense of dread.

“ _ Shen. Govos. Kusho. _ ”

“Stop it. Please.”

“ _ Sett. Sylas. Qiyana. _ ” She keeps listing everyone I have met and helped. I cover my ears and try to drown out her voice. It doesn’t work.

“Stop it!”

“Ice Witch, you are torturing her.” Trundle adds in. His large hands wrap around me gently. I huddle into his embrace.

“ _ Yasuo. _ ”

“WHO ARE YOU?” I scream desperately, not wanting her to say Yone’s name. The nightmare is just too real right now.

“ _ I told you. I am the Blind One. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Leilah's finally getting her act together, though that nightmare... That's terrifying to her. And our new acquaintance, I wonder who that could be? A nightmare walker... hmmmm.
> 
> I'm sure many of you already know who she met, but the lore of our mysterious person states that she'd prefer to use much misdirection and keep the truth from getting out, so there wont be an official confirmation. Just trying to stay true to the lore.
> 
> I'm posting a litttle bit early as I am going to be very busy tomorrow and I was mildly excited for this chapter for our mysterious person (no confirms or denies). I so badly want to write more Yone/Leilah interactions, so here's a little snippet of Yone being affected. Why he went crazy in her dream- Starshadow called her hope. To him, Hope died with her. He had a duty to protect her and failed. She knows this and came up with a terrible situation where this happens. Will not confirm nor deny that this may happen later.
> 
> As always, I hope you guys have an extraordinary day (or night) and have a resolution that you are determined to work for.


	45. Does it Matter?

I clamor down Trundle’s body and stand before her. She easily towers over me. Her head tilts slightly as if to examine an interesting bug. It makes me feel small, but I can’t stop myself. My feet feel like they are frozen to the lake. It’s covered in the magic that constantly attacks me, but I barely feel it. Someone knowing who I care about makes me on edge, more so than the fact that she knows about Daamien and Aurora.

“You know nothing about me.” I spit. My hands bundle up into fists as I try to hold my temper back.  _ Stupid Freljord magic entering my mind. _

_ Nope, that’s partially you. You’re very protective of who you consider friends, and she just knew all of them without you saying anything. Also, why am I not on that list?  _ Starshadow’s head goes directly into my face, staring at me in the eyes. His tone of voice is… unusual.

_ What? _

_ Do you not care about me enough to have me on the list of people to worry about?  _ I… can’t believe it. Starshadow is jealous.

_ You’re on my person all the time. It’s hard for me to be concerned about you when you never leave my side.  _ I retort.

_ It’s about time that you started to use mindspeak. _

_ Don’t think it’s going to be a habit. _

_ Oh, it’s going to be. Remember how often people would stare at us for when I talk out loud or you talk to yourself. Mind speak so we don’t get any unwanted attention.  _ Starshadow is not wrong. For now, we’ve been around people who are generally accepting of our unusual relationship, but Bilgewater took advantage of us, threatening the other into behaving. In Demacia, we were relatively safe because they didn’t know Starshadow. Maybe he’s right.

_...Fine. I’ll practice. Happy?  _ I give in.

_ I’m feeling better until you only speak to me in my mind. Also, I want to be on the list of people you care about. _

_ Demanding snake. _

_ Child. _

_ Spoiled. _

_ Focus, Leilah.  _ Starshadow’s tail smacks the back of mine. I wince at the impact and do as he says, the rude celestial is usually right.

“ _ What I want to know is, how did you come to my domain? _ ” The Blind One’s face tilts upwards to look Trundle in the eye. He reaches down and offers his palm for me to sit on. A deep noise in my throat escapes it’s confinement as I sit down. I feel like a child again as he picks me up and places me back on his shoulder. My feet start to tingle back to life while I settle into my spot.

“We were merely traversing and we came to a crack. We followed the crack down here. Leilah almost took a tumble as she helped me through a particularly thin entrance. After that, we just kept walking.” Trundle rumbles in Demacian. I’m grateful that I can understand…

“Wait, you’re Freljordian. You are deep in the tunnels. How can you speak Demacian?” I speak up. The Blind One turns her attention to me.

“ _ It is not that much different from my tongue, anymore than modern day Freljord is. And that is not what I meant. _ ” Blind One turns back to Trundle. Trundle switches languages, probably as intrigued as I am about what languages she knows. She responds in the same tongue. They converse in Trundle’s native language for a little bit. I guess she points something out to him as he looks down at his feet. I think he turns a little green. I look down as well. It’s exactly how it was like when I almost fell to my death, only there’s a solid surface holding me up instead of my magic. Once again my stomach tries to rebel and leave my body, but I’m able to hold it down. Starshadow peaks over my shoulder as he senses my discomfort.

_ Oh. It’s… actually…  _ Starshadow disappears back into my scarf. I blink in confusion and a little bit of fear. Starshadow, as he loves to boast, is a celestial. He’s been watching Runeterra from the stars. For him to get a little anxious looking down… Whatever is down there is really, really far down. Enough for a celestial to not like it.

“What’s down there?” I ask. Blind One’s attention returns to me. She tilts her head curiously before switching languages again.

“ _ There is a touch of the sun in you. I’m more impressed that you managed to ask instead of ignore its presence. _ ” She talks to me. Starshadow’s head pokes out of my scarf.

_ What did she say?  _ Starshadow asks.

“You know my Mother’s tongue?” I ask in surprise, responding in the same language. She chuckles.

“ _ I watch the nightmares, child. There are very few languages that I have not learned. _ ” She remarks. “ _ It appears I guessed correctly which language you might know and the snake does not. _ ”

“What do you mean that I managed to see through your lake?” I refocus back on my initial question.

“ _ You asked what’s down there. Many would not ask that. In fact, many would not ask at all. _ ”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“ _ It is my burden to bear, young one. You should not have to hold its weight. _ ”

“Still haven’t answered my question.”

“ _ You are a rather insolent child. _ ” She clucks her tongue against her throat like a mother scolding a child.

“Why are we speaking in my Mother’s tongue?” It’s clear to me that she’s not going to answer my questions about the depths below us. She’s also intriguing me. There’s no reason why she would speak in a tongue that Starshadow doesn’t understand unless she doesn’t want him to hear us. What doesn’t she want him to hear?

“ _ The celestial has interfered with you too much. You should find your own path. _ ” She points at my scarf now. “ _ He holds a standard to you, while you play like a good drüvask and follow his directions blindly. Are you a pet? _ ” Her mouth sinks into a frown.  _ Does she… care? Freljordians... _

I can’t think of a way to reply to her question. Starshadow has always been bossy and telling me what to do, but he cares about me. He tells me what I need to know. He’s shared his history with me. I know what he’s been through and why he wants to protect me. But, the Blind One says some things that are rather disturbing to me. He’s kept secrets from me, sure, but he genuinely wants to keep me safe. In fact, I often do something and Starshadow has to bail me out. I got us into trouble in Demacia. I got us in trouble running away from Yrael, and I also got us into this situation, with very few rations left for food. Yet she accuses Starshadow of controlling me. I guess if his secrets are that bad, he could be… But how bad can they be? If the Blind One has reason to believe the secrets are that strong, then maybe I am… No, I can’t think like that.

“I’m not a pet. More often than not, He has to help me out of situations I get us into.” I try to argue back. Her mouth frowns more.

“ _ A pet with a longer leash is still a pet. What is sad is that you do not know you are one. _ ” She turns away from me again.  _ Is she right? _

_ What was she saying?  _ Starshadow demands. I raise my hand and pat Starshadow on his little head.

_ Something I have to figure out for myself.  _ I find myself answering him. I really don’t know what to think. What if she is right? Starshadow has called himself my babysitter before. He’s always come to my rescue and scolded me… What do I think?

_ Alright. When you want to talk, we’ll talk.  _ Starshadow accepts my claim. She switches languages again, going into another one. This time Starshadow responds. He sounds furious at her words. His little hood actually flairs quite a bit as he slithers onto the ground in front of us. A tug of my magic and Starshadow’s body is the same substance as the lake. I crumble off Trundle’s shoulder as Starshadow grows. Trundle, thankfully, catches me before I hit the ground. Starshadow rises tall enough to stare Blind One in the face.

“Leilah?” Trundle’s voice is rather muffled, but Starshadow’s is loud and clear in my head.

_ HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT LEILAH IS MY PET! HOW DARE YOU!.. You think that that’s how I treat her?... No, I'm not treating her like some pet… You don’t know us. You don’t know her… You can’t just base us on our nightmares… They’re our fears. I’m pretty sure my nightmares have never been about Leilah making me into a pet. Rather, they’ve been about her leaving me because I’ve been alone too long... She’s my little sister from Runeterra. I look out for her and protect her from herself. She’s young and makes mistakes. I watch out for her. That is all.  _ Starshadow shares his words with me. He’s… being open with me. A small smile appears on my face until Blind One speaks some more. Starshadow hisses without translating this time, not telling me what he’s saying. I bite my lip, worried about what he’s hiding from me now. My vision gets even blurrier. Trundle’s face looks concerned and covers my eyes with his large hand. I struggle a little bit trying to see what’s happening.

“Do you know what they’re saying?” I whisper.

“Sorry, it’s not close to any Freljordian language I know.” Trundle apologizes. I have to lie limply in his hand until Starshadow or Blind One wants to talk to us. After what seems like hours, I hear his voice again. 

_ I was watched over by a dear friend of mine. She took so much abuse from my abusers and never let me know about it. The only reason why I know what I do is because the damn Aspects would gloat about how Aurora would allow herself to be tortured rather than let me be hurt. When she told me of the child, of Leilah, I threw myself into caring for her. When Aurora told me she was going to stay with her, I thought that this was my chance to protect her, as thanks for all the times she protected me. In the beginning, I saw her as a vessel for Aurora to escape from. When I did bond to Leilah, I got to know her. Climbing the mountain with her, I grew to love her as her own person. Anything I do or say, it’s because I love her. I want her to live. _

Starshadow stops translating what he’s saying, or I just can’t stay conscious enough to hear him anymore. I think I fell asleep because when I wake up again, Starshadow’s warm scales are curled around my neck, his body small to fit in my scarf comfortably. He’s still fuming from whatever happened, based on the heat that’s radiating from him. Either way, he’s not talking. I gingerly lift myself up a little bit on Trundle’s wrist. Everything is just sore all over. I sit up just in time for Blind One to wave her hand. She conjures a club of pure Ice before handing it over to Trundle. Trundle delicately takes the gift. They exchange words before she turns to me.

“ _ Your celestial speaks true. You are no pet. Apologies for the accusation. The gods and skies have not been kind to me. _ ” Blind one bows her head slightly. I look around uneasily. I don’t think that I have ever had someone that tall apologizing to me before.

“I understand where you’re coming from. Pantheon, a legend from my home, hates the celestials for what they did. Starshadow is not a bad one. Sure, he’s overbearing and beyond bossy and annoying, but he means well.” I think I did ok at accepting her apology and trying to get her to understand that there are people who are different from a standard. I’m living proof of it.

“ _ He made an interesting remark. Something about ‘Freljordians needing to mind their own damn business?’ _ ” The Blind One sounds more amused than annoyed. I let out a groan and cover my face. I may agree with the sentiment, but to someone’s face?...

“I am so sorry for his words. He’s… a little much at times.”

“ _ Even if he is younger than I, he’s not wrong. Perhaps he is right. The Freljord is harsh. It’s people learned to be just as forthcoming. _ ”

“That, I can understand.” I feel better knowing that the Blind One agrees with our assessments of the people here.

“ _ I do have a question for you, though. You can understand him now, but what should happen if he did something unforgivable? _ ” She asks. Starshadow tenses up. He hears what she’s saying. I have no idea how the snake can get people to listen and respect him, but somehow he manages. “ _ The road to evil is paved with good intentions. You would do well to remember that too, young magic user. _ ”

“Thank you for your words of wisdom. I will try to remember them.” I nod my head jerkily. 

“ _ That is not an answer. What should happen… If he does something unforgivable?”  _ Blind One demands. Her hand reaches out and caresses my chin. Her cold touch freezes my face before a massive amount of magic pools from my stomach. She yanks her hand away quickly at the intense heat Starshadow puts in her mind.

_ Go ahead.  _ Starshadow’s head pops out of my scarf and looks at me. I can see his concern and worry. I think he’s starting to get wrinkles.

_ Starshadow? _

_ One day, you may not forgive me. I have secrets, Leilah, things I can’t tell you. Not yet. I promise, I will when the time comes, but you may have to suffer from them. I… I don’t want you to hate me.  _ Starshadow no longer sounds cocky. He’s as vulnerable as our bath in Ionia.

I don’t know how to answer. Starshadow, he’s always been my best friend. He’s loyal, determined, and highly protective. I’m also aware that he has secrets. I don’t know what he tells all the people we meet, but somehow when he talks to them, I’m a friend. They are willing to do what it takes to protect me. But… can I forgive him if he tells them something that is too much for me to handle? I need to think.

“ _ You are taking your time. Good. Now, I believe you need to find your way out of this place. _ ” Blind one dismisses us. 

“I can help with that.” Starshadow mutters quietly. There’s a massive tug of magic. I almost fall off Trundle’s hand from the surge of magic. Trundle holds me as he tries to back away from shadows that start to climb up him.

“Since when can you just activate the teleports?”

_ I needed personal tutoring. A healer of Daamien’s caliber, you think he’s enjoying the fact that we walk everywhere? He’s pissed at me for not practicing this in real life. _

“Is that what all that sleeping is for?”

_...Maybe. _

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I am more exasperated than disappointed in his secret here.

_ Consider it a surprise? _

“Remind me again why we weren’t trying this before?”

_ Because you needed to train your own magic. You also touched Daamien first, before I could absorb the rest of him. You have the healing while I have the better parts. Well, I think it’s time I showed you exactly what I was taught.  _ Starshadow sounds quite confident.  _ It also helps that you are more magically mature, so you should be able to handle this teleport better than our first one. _

“Trundle, stop!” I yelp as I feel a hit of True Ice on my magic. He’s swatting at them with his club. They freeze for a second before they keep creeping up. Trundle hears me and stops attacking the shadows. It’s clear he’s still really uneasy about them though.

“What are they?” Trundle roars.

“It’s my magic. It’s not pleasant, but we’ll be out.” I pat his shoulder. Trundle looks sceptical as the shadows reach his shoulders.

“ _ Do not forget, Leilah Starshadow. _ ” Blind One’s voice echoes in my ears and my mind. “ _ Can you ever forgive him if he goes too far? _ ”

I don’t have a chance to answer as the shadows swallow us and spit us out back at the crack we entered into. The teleportation made me feel so uncomfortable I roll off Trundle and into the snow. I’m completely spent. Starshadow lets out a soft moan against my neck. Trundle grunts. I weakly lift my head up to see Trundle rubbing his skin harshly. At the motion, I feel an intense itching on my own skin. What makes the itching worse is that I can’t move to scratch it.

“That… was very unpleasant.” Trundle shudders as the last of our magic floats off. I sigh in relief as the itch goes away.

“Sorry… Separated Darkin magic is… annoying. Teleports aren’t comfy, healing magic is.” Starshadow groans out. I reach up and tap his head.

“What was… that about… You having-”

“Don’t… Finish… that.” Starshadow gasps out. I can’t help but let out a breath of laughter.

“Teach me… how to teleport… or at least… how to help.” I pant.

_ Deal.  _ Starshadow agrees. We stay in the cold snow. Thankfully there’s no True Ice touching me while I’m here, so my magic can recover. Interestingly enough my magic recovers much faster than I remember. My body eases from the strain easily. I feel like I can move my body again after a few minutes of rest.

“...I believe that our agreement is complete.” Trundle remarks. He sounds a little sad. I tilt my head towards him just in time to see him start to walk off.

“Trundle?” I choke out. I roll over on my hands and knees and look up at him. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He’s both unwilling and resigned at the same time.

“Starshadow asked for an agreement. I protect you while I go on a quest to see how to get my tribe to listen and you would provide good company. You did your part of the deal, keeping me sane and hopeful, even if you didn’t know it. The Blind One gave me the answer. You are a good human, one that I will gladly come to the defense of, but I must leave now. My tribe must be saved from themselves.” Trundle explains. I push myself to my knees and try to stand up.

“Let me take you-” I topple forward. Starshadow barely manages to enlarge enough to make sure that my face doesn’t slam into the snow and suffocate myself. That would be embarrassing… “-back.”

“You have your own place to go, Leilah. Starshadow is right. You are a strong, kind human. You are an inspiration to be around. Come see me when you need help, and my tribe will come to your aid.” With that, Trundle leaves with a farewell. A few tears fall down my cheeks at the lost friend.

_ Don’t cry, Leilah. Like everyone else we’ve met, you’ll probably see him again. _

_ I’m not sad, Starshadow. _

_ Really? _

“Yeah. I… I can’t describe the feeling, but I’m not sad. I’m… I know that he’s going to find his tribe and he’s going to do what he has to do, and he can do it on his own now. I’m… not resigned, but…”

_ I know what you’re talking about.  _ Starshadow’s head bobs into mine. His tongue flicks out and kisses my cheek before he helps me back on my back and shrinks back down. I close my eyes and just breathe.  _ Food. _

“I’m too tired to move, Starshadow. Can you grab the bread inside?” I whisper quietly. I feel Starshadow’s body slide down my body and rummage through my small pack. He quickly grabs the little bit of bread and shoves it into my mouth. I choke slightly before he pulls it out.

_ Sorry. I’d really rather be back in Vathcaer right now. I don’t like not knowing who else is out there.  _ Starshadow helps me eat, this time he’s gentler and offers me smaller bites. There’s not enough food to fill me up, but there is enough to get back enough magic to teleport us again.

“How does teleporting work?” I ask quietly.

_ Yeah, about that. It’s a lot of magic mumbo jumbo that will take far too long to explain, so I guess that teleporting is transporting every single cell in your body to a new location. We kinda use a mini realm outside of Runeterra. _

“Zoe?”

_ I guess that’s our best comparison with her portals. I can’t tell how a person would feel during our teleports, so the itching? Yeah, I can’t control that. You, as a healer between the two of us, can settle the discomfort. _

“Do I have to focus?”

_ You’ve never had to focus how to heal an injury before. Your magic will take care of it.  _

“Basically, everyone that is teleporting with us needs to have my magic flowing over them on top of your magic grabbing them? Since when could we teleport with someone?”

_ Precisely. And really? You think Daamien saved so many people by dragging so many bodies as he runs in and out? I don’t think so. _

“...oh...”

_ Yeah. Oh. Ready? _

“Do I have a choice?”

_ Not really. Here we go!  _ Starshadow crows as the shadows once again climb up my body.

“Starshadow!” I yelp. I struggle to stand up, not wanting to be on the ground like we always seem to be. Knowing that my magic helps with the teleports, my magic surges over us as we are once again teleported. This time there’s no discomfort or itching. I do stumble a little bit and fall onto my knees as we exit. When I stop moving, I see houses in the distance. I’m absolutely exhausted at this point.. “Why didn’t this happen before?”

_ Daamien got impatient and just teleported us? _

“Can we control it? The random teleporting?”

_ Do we want to?  _ Starshadow asks. I am silent, thinking. Starshadow makes a good point. If we can control teleports, then maybe I could go back home, see my family. I can take my parents to Ionia, the Freljord, everywhere. I can take them to meet Yone. But… If I control the random teleports, I don’t know where to go to help people. Daamien knows that, and I’m not sure I want another magical responsibility on my head quite yet. It might even help Daamien to have a job to do to keep himself from going mad again.

“No.”

_ Huh? _

“No. We appear when things are dire, when people need us. If we control the teleports, there’s a chance we’ll miss someone. I’d… As much as I want to see my parents, if I do that at a bad time, something horrible can happen to someone else, or to them. I can’t… I can’t let that happen.” I explain. I feel Starshadow nod his head before cuddling me.

_ Alright. We’ll do things your way.  _ Starshadow nuzzles into me before he lifts his head. At that moment, I know how I would answer Blind One’s question.

Starshadow, he can be obnoxious, he may have his secrets, but he will never stop looking out for me. He’s my best friend, my brother, my bonded. I’m sure that there are times when he’ll do something that annoys me or I’ll do something that annoys him, but he’s always going to put me first. And I’ll always trust him to do the right thing when it comes to me. I close my eyes and let Starshadow take care of me.

“Hello, Yrael. Do us a favor and bring Leilah back inside. She needs food, water, and rest.” Starshadow remarks. I feel a pair of arms scoop under my body and lift me up. A peek shows me that Ashe is staring at concern at me while Yrael carries me back to the house. 

“Hey, Ashe. Sorry for running off. I’ll be alright.” I reach out to tap her head. Her face is as uneasy as ever.

“Will you be able to help Mom? I haven’t seen her come out since you left.” Ashe asks me. That wakes me up a little bit. I try to wriggle out of Yrael’s grasp, but he holds firm. His white beard tickles my cheek a little bit.

“You need your rest, Leilah.” Yrael demands. I bite my lip, debating on whether or not I should apologize to him. “We have no idea where you’ve been. Starshadow demanded that we protect you while you stayed with us, yet you left on your own. All we get is a note telling us that you’re alive and you are going to help other people and that you’ll be back. You are a child in this world, Leilah.”

“I… I’m sorry, Yrael. I really am. I’ve just been through so much that I think I know what I’m doing.” I mumble, shrinking in his grasp. Starshadow’s head bobs out.

“You are an adult in your world, but this is not your world. Learn from your peers. Starshadow told us you’ve always been used to the warm climates. Here, the Freljord will kill you.” Yrael keeps going.

“Yrael, that’s enough.” Ashe tries to speak up for me. “Last time, you went too far with your accusations and she ran away.”

“She needs to under-”

“No, Yrael. She does not need to understand.” Starshadow interrupts. “You are an Oathfather, one of the most respected, but you are not HER Oathfather. You are not even her father. You do not know what she’s been through.”

“What is the worst she could have been through?” Yrael scoffs.

“She climbed one of the most treacherous mountains in the world, I believe you would have at least heard of the crown of stones from Demacian rumors?” Starshadow glares at Yrael. The old man, for his part, jolts a little bit.

“She survived that?” Yrael asks. He no longer sounds as confident as he did before.

“Do you know that I’m a celestial?” Starshadow retorts sarcastically. He shakes his head. “She’s also survived torture and being kidnapped. Even if she didn’t go through that, you don’t get to educate her through your opinions. You don’t get to tell her what to do or what you think. What matters now is that you keep your well-meaning opinions to yourself, and let Leilah help where she can.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Yrael demands.

“You think she wants to be reminded of the fact she’s been tortured each time you look at her in pity? She doesn’t need strangers knowing about her business. Hell, it took a crap ton of courage for her to tell her boyfriend about her torture.”

_ Starshadow! Yone is not… _

_ He’s your courter or something. Either way, he’s just helping my case. Don’t get so defensive. _

“I thought Yone was just a friend?” Ashe squeaks up.

“Right person, but not important right now.” Starshadow dismisses it. “What’s important now is that you need help. Leilah would not have appeared here otherwise.”

I jolt a little bit and try to get out again. I still haven’t fully recovered. If anything, the safety of Yrael’s arms and Ashe being nearby makes my magic relax enough to stop healing all my sore spots. Breathing is starting to become a struggle.

_ Starshadow, everything hurts. _

_ I know the feeling.  _ “Ashe, sweet coffee creator, can you catch me? There’s only so much magic Leilah has before we both…” Starshadow’s voice drops at the same time my conscious does.

_ I can’t wait for the day when we don’t pass out from using a little bit of magic. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Leilah's back in Vathcaer! More Ashe and Leilah friendship! Next chapter's going to a bit of a relax chapter for poor Leilah. That girl's been through quite an emotional rollercoaster, so it'll be nice to have a break from it. Trundle got his big whack stick, and now he's off to be a troll king. I wonder what will happen when they meet again? Will Trundle remain friendly to her or have to keep an appearance. She's definitely a lot more powerful now that she's spent a week of constantly using her magic. 
> 
> As always, I hope you guys are having an extraordinary day and you are enjoying yourself, in rain, shine, warmth, or snow.


	46. Peace Before a Storm

When my eyes open again, it’s clear that time has passed. I’m still a little sore and tired, but at least I can move my body. I carefully slip out from the bed. Little lights of the moon peak through the curtains of my room. With a little bit of effort, I manage to stand up. Looking back at the bed, I’m surprised I managed to get out without waking him up. He’s big enough to wrap around my body twice. His head grumbles as his body shifts. I notice a little shiver flow through his body.

_ Starshadow?  _ I call out quietly in my mind. He lets out a little snort before raising his head sluggishly. He opens his mouth wide in a yawn. I think I see some fangs before he smacks his mouth and focuses on me.

_ Leilah? You ok?  _ He slithers a bit to the edge of the bed. I shake my head and pull back the blanket. A little bit of residual heat can be felt. Starshadow’s head immediately focuses on the bed and he moves slowly into the space. Once the rest of him is securely in there, he peeks his head out. I pat his head to coax him back to sleep.  _ You didn’t answer my question. _

_ I’m great. I just can’t sleep anymore.  _ I answer him. He nods before removing his head from my hands and buries it under the pillow.

_ If nothing’s wrong, I’m going back… to… zzzzzz.  _ I giggle a little bit as I can hear little hissy snores come from him. He stirs a little at the noise before relaxing completely, happy with the warmth and softness of the bed. I shake my head before standing up and going to the window. I pull open the curtains to stare at the stars. They may not be the stars I know of, but it’s still a comfort to me. I can even come up with other stars for me to remember. There’s a line of four stars connected to a brightly lit man, like someone holding a sword. It reminds me of old friends in Ionia.

I never thought I’d miss him as much as I do. I mean, I miss my parents. I need to send another letter to them soon, telling them that I messed up and that I miss them, but Yone… Starshadow’s given me a lot to think about. He didn’t correct Ashe when she asked if he was my boyfriend. I really don’t know if he is. I really haven’t had much time to think about us as us. He’s the only one that makes me feel nervous and happy at the same time. He makes butterflies flutter in my stomach and a smile appear on my face. He called me beautiful. He kissed me. I’m… I’m sure I really like him, but love him? Could he actually be a partner? I’d love him to be, but both times I’ve left he wants to protect Ionia. What if something attacks Ionia? What if Ionia attacks another country? If that’s the case, I can’t help Ionia if they fight. What if… What if we have to fight each other? Or I have to heal someone Yone considers an enemy? I’m sure he’d hate me. I don’t want to fight him. I don’t want him attacking me.

I groan a little bit and press my head against glass. What to do, what to do. I… I want to be with Yone. I want to date, to fall in love, to be with someone other than my obnoxious snake. I’m still human, despite my rather determined claim earlier. I still want to do things that normal people go through. I can teleport with people, but what if I leave him behind when I go through an uncontrolled teleport? Would Daamien do so? Probably not, he’s been pretty good at teleporting us when we’re done and we are capable of teleporting more than one person, so… maybe he knows if I have a passenger? Maybe I can talk to Daamien about that… And I need to talk to Yone about my magic. That I have to help everyone. He’ll understand. I’m sure he will… probably. Yasuo would certainly be annoyed, the hothead he is, but he’d follow Yone’s lead. I think Yone would get Yasuo to understand. But that’s only if Yone understands...

A strangled noise comes out of my throat and I hold my head a little bit. There’s no point in thinking about what ifs and what can happens. I’ll talk to Yone when I see him again, tell him my magic has developed quite a bit and what I’ve learned. That I have control and I don’t get sick, just tired now. I’ll send a letter to the brothers as well. Maybe I’ll even tell Yone where my family lives so he can travel on his own while I’m off saving another person then teleporting back. I can’t help but scoff quietly. It makes me sound like it’s a daily thing. Start a dinner conversation with me, then I teleport away, help someone, and be back in time for dessert. But I can really picture it. Yone talking with my parents and I. Starshadow slithering onto my shoulders and warning me that there’s an issue abroad. Yone collecting his swords and holding my hand as we go off and save someone. When our task is done, we go back home and tell my parents what happened. Yasuo stopping by every now and then. I can see Yone holding me as my parents pass away. I can even see Yone’s smile as he ages. I know I’d be holding his hand as he passes away. I can see all of it. That just brings me to another point.

I live for a long time. I’m a Darkin on top of being an Aspect. I have celestial magic connected to me. What the hell do I do about that? From what I understand, Aspects and Darkins don’t die from old age. I won’t age and die with Yone. I’ll be as young as ever as he withers away. I don’t care that he would age and I’d start looking more like I could be his descendant, but I don’t want to see him die. My hand reaches down to my hair and plays with it lightly. Should I take this happiness being presented to me even if it won’t last? I wish Aurora and Daamien would let me age, but at the same time, I don’t. This is a huge responsibility. Carrying souls that should never, ever be given to the wrong person. I really hope I’m not the wrong person, but I seem to mess up all the time.

I feel a sudden weight on my shoulders. All those people, there will never be a day when someone does not need help. My job will never end. I doubt that I’ll ever be let go because Starshadow. I’ve definitely grown on him as much as he’s grown on me. He’d do anything to keep me safe. I’m really worried that he’ll go too far, dying to save me. Then I’ll be all alone, with nothing but powerful beings in my mind. I don’t doubt that we’re going to go up against something bad someday, and I could really lose Starshadow. Before, thinking back to my meeting with Lamb and Wolf, Starshadow was so small. He was a dot. And that dot could disappear. My blood runs cold at the thought. I… I have to get stronger, so he won’t die because I didn’t have the magic to keep him alive. I have to be able to help him and not just be a pitiful mess waiting for him to finish protecting me. 

“Leilah?” A soft whisper interrupts my musings. I jolt a little bit and turn to the door. I didn’t even notice the creaking of the door open. I was that absorbed. Ashe stands in the middle, her head poking in. I quietly walk over to her and close the door behind me.

“What’s up?” I ask her. She’s wearing a little nightdress. I’m almost freezing in this temperature. It might be spring in the Freljord, but the nights are still cool. Freljordians are... the absolute worst as casually being comfy in the cold. She notices my body start to shiver and guides me downstairs. She gestures to me to sit in a bearskin chair. I do so as she starts up a fire. The warmth of it makes me feel a little sleepy. I close my eyes for what feels like a second. A soft nudge against my shoulder wakes me up a bit. I open my eyes to see Ashe holding out a mug of what smells like tea as she holds another close to her chest. “Thank you. Where did you get tea?” I murmur into the mug.

“Yrael felt bad you ran away. When some Demacian traders came around, he asked for some tea leaves. The traders taught us how to make tea. We’ve been waiting for you to come back ever since.” Ashe explains. She sits down on the floor as I take sips of tea. It’s absolutely heavenly, much better than most teas. Especially Govos’s tea. He never had the patience to let the tea leaves soak long enough.

“I am sorry for running away. I’ve just been so caught up in a lot of things that everything just boiled over.” I apologize to her.

“Yeah, I know. Starshadow woke up before you. Said something about not being the main body of magic so he can just siphon magic off you to wake himself up.” Ashe sips at her own mug. I’d guess it’s coffee since Starshadow called her a coffee maker, and she said tea was for me. That and there’s a smell of coffee in the room.

“Sorry if he told anyone off.” I take another sip. I’m pretty sure that I’d be the only one to enjoy the floral fragrance. Yasuo would prefer spice while Yone would take his as black tea. What I would give to have Yone be nearby. Or my parents. Maybe even Geras and Lye. Or anyone that I haven’t seen in a while.

“You off somewhere else?” Ashe asks quietly. I blink back to see Ashe look at me curiously. Her coffee is already gone. 

“I’m pretty sure Starshadow mentioned that coffee had a waking up agent.” I look pointedly at the empty mug. She’s twelve, she should not be having coffee.

“Yeah, well it’s this or plain water. And you didn’t answer my question.” Ashe retorts back, a no nonsense tone in her voice. I raise an eyebrow, impressed with her attitude for one her age.

“No, I guess I didn’t.” I remark and take another sip. She looks at me expectantly. I look at her curiously. “What?”

“Who’s your boyfriend?” She asks innocently. I struggle to not cough from the sip of tea I have in my mouth.

“Why would you want to know that? You’re twelve!” I yelp quietly.

“I used to talk about this with Sejuani. Apparently her home has lots of cute boys. It was just a fun pastime. Mom used to join in those talks, laughing and teasing us about a cute, strong man going to be our bloodsworn. It was honestly a blast. We laughed and joked all the time.” Ashe gets quieter with each sentence about her mother. 

I really don’t know what those talks are like. Mother has always been the farmer, teaching me how to handle a farm and take care of a house and family if I ever had one. Geras and Lye did not make good girl talk considering they are both males that I rough housed with, but Ashe really looks like she could use something to help.

“I really don’t know if I can call him my boyfriend.” I decide to give in. She perks up a little bit and looks at me expectantly.

“Yone?” She asks. I blush a little bit before nodding. She gives a little fist pump. “I knew it!”

“Keep your voice down, Ashe! We don’t want to wake anyone up.” I giggle a little bit with her.

“But I would never have expected you to have a boyfriend! It explains why you are super annoyed when I asked about him. What’s he like?” She leans towards me. I pull back slightly before waving my hand. A starlight image of Yone appears with his small handsome smile. I almost tear up at the image of him. Even if I haven’t seen him in a while, he still brings a few butterflies to my stomach. “Oh, he’s definitely cute.”

“Ashe.” I whine slightly. She laughs a little bit before she calms down.

“What does he sound like?” She asks. I think back to Yone’s velvety and determined voice before making my illusion speak.

“I have a duty to Ionia.” He sounds so proud with his smooth voice. The illusion even tilts his head up. I notice Ashe sigh almost longingly at it.

“That is just incredible. How did you manage to get the guy’s attention in the first place?” Ashe looks at me with wonder.

“Honestly, I have no idea. He was a friend I made, then I got sick rescuing his little brother from a bad storm and I guess we were starting to get close. He was eventually assigned to train me personally, so I just happened to be around him a lot. He taught me how to defend myself from weapons. Let’s just say, I took way too many whacks with his stick swords trying to learn. He’d always be there to help with the welts though, even if it wasn’t necessary. He’d take me to meditations. Sometimes, when I couldn’t sleep at night, I’d stand out on a balcony. Almost every single time I was out there after I got sick, Yone would come by. He’d stand nearby and just be a comfort to me. Just… All that time with him, his quiet presence, his kindness, I really fell for him.” I open up to her a little bit. She’s really attentive. She just watches me, flicking her eyes between Yone and I. I turn my head to focus on Yone. Once I see him, I can’t stop looking at him. “We were sorta partnered with each other a little bit into my training. They tried to teach me how to use magic without actually knowing magic. The monastery thought that it was a good idea to have me trained to help promote their school. Huge mistake.”

“How come?” Ashe interrupts me. “When we were sparring, you were beating me left and right.”

“They taught me how to defend myself from weapons, but they had no idea how to teach me magic. I got sick a lot using magic and trying to train it. Yone, he would try to help me after each sparring session.”

“Why did you get sick?” 

“That… is an interesting thing. I wasn’t born with magic. I climbed a mountain and got one magic, then teleported to another, one that didn’t agree with the original magic. So, every time I used magic, I’d suffer from the clash.” I explain.

“How did you get over it?”

“Well, I took some time after an adventure and figured out what made the magic so agitated, then got the magic to calm down and now all I feel is exhaustion when I use too much.” I shrug my shoulders. She turns back to Yone and walks up to him. He towers over her. I know it’s just an illusion, but I feel like Yone can’t look away from me anymore than I can.

“He’s a bit skinny for me, but I can see why you like him. He’s practically displaying manliness standing here.” Ashe teases. I giggle and wipe his image away.

“Enough about me, what about you?” I turn the situation around. I don’t know how long we talk, just enjoying ourselves and being silly. She apparently has a thing for tough strong guys and gentle personalities. Those are definitely harder to find in the Freljord, with all the rough personalities that can’t seem to keep opinions to themselves. She’s young with an adorable ideal, but she’s happy. She’ also helps me calm my mind about everything that could happen and grounds me in the moment.

“Now what have you two been doing up for three hours?” Grena asks in amusement. Ashe freezes briefly, looking at Grena in confusion.

“Mom? What are you doing up right now?” Ashe asks.

“Oh, I heard giggling and laughter and I’d thought I’d take a peak. Glad to see you’re recovering, Leilah.” Grena walks in and kisses her daughter’s head before patting my shoulder. I start to stand up when the pat becomes firm, holding me in place. “No need to get up. I know you Hearthborn don’t like the cold.”

“Hearthborn?” I ask as I sink back down into the chair.

“It’s what we call those that can’t stand True Ice, or heavily dislike the cold.” Grena explains. She settles on the floor next to Ashe. Ashe stands up.

“I’ll go make some coffee for you, Mom. I know how much you love it.” Ashe kisses her mom’s head back before leaving. Grena gives the girl a loving smile as she leaves.

“You might want to make extra. You know how much Starshadow crows about coffee.” I call out to her. Ashe gives a snicker before turning to leave the room. Once she does, Grena changes her entire personality. What was once relaxed becomes very tense. She leans forward towards me. I snuggle back into the chair a bit, a little shaken from the personality change.

“What happened to you out there?” Grena demands.

“I-I-I’m sorry I left. I really didn’t-” I start.

“Do not worry about Yrael. I spoke with him and got him to understand that what your life is your life and not our place to interfere. No, I’m more curious about your adventure. You were gone for over a week. You sent a letter saying you were helping a village, saying you were going to try to help whoever was attacking the village. I’d like to hear about it. Especially since you and Starshadow seem to have more power than before.” Grena observes.

“I-I-I’ll tell as long as there’s no True Ice here.” I stammer a little bit. Grena tilts her head before nodding.

“That’s an acceptable deal.” Grena relaxes a little back. I blink a little bit. 

_ That’s… concerning.  _ Starshadow remarks in my head.

_ I’m sorry?  _ I jump a little bit at Starshadow’s interruption. I try to keep myself relaxed and small in front of Grena as Starshadow and I converse.

_ She’s not even wincing at your poke at your initial meeting. Remember how she’d apologize and mothered you a little bit when you came back? She’s a mom, but you are showing signs of fear and she isn’t responding. Where is that woman now?  _ Starshadow points out. His form drops from the top of the door and grows quickly in size. Grena notices and stiffens again. Starshadow, for his part, simply just slides on by and onto my chair. I can hear it creak from the weight.

_ Starshadow? _

_ Now she knows she can’t threaten you. _

_ How? And how did you know? _

_ Who in their right mind would threaten a twelve foot snake that can talk? And I kept an eye out on the door. Couldn’t stay asleep when you left with Ashe, so I just decided to go hide in a high spot and make sure you were safe. Now hush, Leilah. Mommy and Daddy are going to help you through this.  _ Starshadow teases. I roll my eyes and relax before I turn back to Grena.

“Uh, you wanted to know about my adventure. There isn’t much to tell. I met a troll, we came to a crack in the floor. For a week we walked through in the True Ice, not something I’d like to do again, before we came to a frozen lake. The troll spoke with someone we found down there. She was blue and covered in True Ice… She said to call her the Blind One-”

“Did you say Blind One?” Grena leaps forward, her hands reaching out to grab me. Starshadow intercepts her, his tail coiling around her and holding her up. I leap out of my chair as Starshadow keeps her from moving.

_ Starshadow? _

“Beware your manners, Grena. You told me you wanted to ask her what happened. You are hearing it. Do not attempt to grab her again.” Starshadow is quiet, deadly calm. I blink at my snake. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Starshadow be so agitated. He sets her down and shrinks into a smaller form. 

_ What was that about? _

_ I do everything for you while you are asleep, and you want to know? _

_ Secrets and trust, Starshadow. Some of them, I’ll let you keep, but I want to know what you talk about while I’m out.  _

_...Right. I promised I would tell you. Fair enough. I woke up earlier than you, given that I was a little concerned about Grena’s behaviour. Grena was desperate to know where you were. She almost tried to shake you awake, which is why I woke up. I told her a small gist, saying we found a lake in a crack. She took immense interest in that. I was still tired, so I told her to wait. I also told Ashe that I can use less magic if I want since the girl was walking by and was wondering why you weren’t waking up but I did. _

_ Thanks, Starshadow. _

“That is an incredible amount of magic you have, Leilah.” Grena remarks. She’s a little wary of me now. I feel a little sad. This woman who protects her village, a warmother, is scared of little old me. And I hate it. I never wanted to be scary to anyone.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Starshadow can’t either. I’m still just a girl that you found in the middle of nowhere, struggling to breath. I’m still the girl who you taught how to put on a bra. I’m still under a vow to never harm.” I try to gently remind her. She sighs and shakes her head.

“... I know you are. I just never realize how much magic you could possess. Starshadow is right. You are someone to watch and protect.” Grena stands against the wall, looking into the fire. Starshadow presses his head against my hand, demanding to be petted. I roll my eyes and oblige. For a few minutes, we just stay as we are. Grena appears to be deep in thought.

“Ok, I have three cups of coffee and one cup of hot water.” Ashe carefully maneuvers her way into the room, her back to the door as she holds a tray of cups. Before I can blink, Starshadow shoots off my lap and quickly scales Ashe’s body to grab the biggest mug of coffee. I guess that during the time I was out the first time, Starshadow did this alot. Ashe doesn’t even flinch.

“Thank you.” Starshadow chirps as he carefully manages his way back to the chair with his prize. I grab the cup and take it away from him.  _ What is that for? _

_ Go help Ashe.  _ I point him to her.

_ Leilah, I am a celestial. I am not going to go fetch you your drink. _

_ Oh, that’s not what I said. I said go help Ashe. She’s carrying three hot cups. Go help.  _

_ Fine. But I’m only grabbing yours. _

_ That’s fine by me.  _ I gently set Starshadow down before leaning back. Starshadow grumbles in my mind how I’m a slave driver but helps Ashe. He regrows his size so he can help. I’m pleasantly surprised when, insteadn of taking one mug and bringing it to me, he grabs all three cups off the tray and holds them there.

“I’ll hold onto them. You go put the tray back.” Starshadow sounds a little bitter. Ashe raises an eyebrow at me.

“Well, I told him to help. I threatened his coffee.” I explain, holding up my hostage mug. Ashe giggles and dashes out of the room. I think she’s trying to reward Starshadow for his good behaviour trying to be fast.

_ I will end you for turning me into a servant.  _ Starshadow threatens me. His voice is both annoyed and teasing at the same time.

_ You aren’t a servant Starshadow. You can certainly work on your behaviour to others though.  _ I remind him. Starshadow makes a few more noises of annoyance, but he nods his acceptance.  _ I’ll give you plenty of head pets, ok? And you can have plenty of coffee. I’ll have Ashe teach me- _

_ DEAL!  _ Starshadow squeals in my head. I let out an amused laugh, carefully making sure that none of the coffee in my hands spill. Grena notices Starshadow’s change in body language and laughs quite a bit.

“You have him wrapped around your pinky, you know that?” Grena remarks, too softly for Starshadow to hear. Ashe moves back in as quickly as she can and takes two cups of coffee away. Starshadow, free of the responsibility of holding three cups, comes back as quickly as he can with my drink. We trade cups, where Starshadow becomes as small as possible to drink more coffee for his size. I hold both cups now, with Starshadow coiled around his and sipping it.

“...Is that safe for a snake his size to drink that?” Ashe asks curiously. Starshadow takes another sip and stares at her like she’s crazy.

“Ashe, I-”

“Am a celestial. I know. I swear, if I have to hear you say that one more time, I am going to limit any food and treats I give you.” I threaten a little bit.

“That’s not fair.” Starshadow pouts a little bit.

“It’s really about time you learn humility.” I give him a look. He snorts.

“Humility? That’s only for the people that believe in being kind. Me? All I care about is that my bonded is safe.” Starshadow takes another sip and happily wriggles down. I roll my eyes again.

“At least pretend to have humility when I’m around, ok?” I can’t believe that I am having this conversation with him.

“No promises.” Starshadow retorts. Grena clears her throat. I blush a little bit realizing that we just had a minor argument in front of two people.

“Oh, no. Keep going. Listening to you two bicker is hilarious.” Ashe sips her cup of coffee.

“That’s just mean, Ashe.” I whine a little bit.

“Hey, at least we aren’t talking about your boyfriend.” Ashe teases a little bit.

“Ashe, please!” I start to glow as I protest. Grena walks out of the room as Ashe and Starshadow gang up on me. Even if I’m completely embarrassed, I smile. It feels like when Geras and Lye would tease me. Granted they mostly teased me because I didn’t have any interest in anyone, but they would still try to embarrass me.

“What? He’s a bit skinny, but even in an illusion you can tell how much they love each other.” Ashe snickers.

“It was just an illusion, Ashe!”

“Even then, you couldn’t look away.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him!”

_ Yet you dream of him.  _ Starshadow joins in.

_ Stay out of my dream!  _ I blush and quickly stand up. Starshadow laughs out loud. 

“What did you say to her?” Ashe snickers.

“Oh, something she would never want you to hear.” Starshadow smirks. I’m moving out the door to go speak with Grena. Starshadow glances over at me as I close the door to let him have fun with Ashe.

_ Need help? _

_ I need to practice my magic. If she gets too aggressive, I’ll use it. Better late than never. _

_ That’s my bonded, but don’t forget that I can bear the heaviness that you can’t.  _ Starshadow’s voice isn’t teasing. It’s formal. 

_ I know.  _ I know he’ll bear the worst of the world if he can help it. He’d take all the bad things away if he could help it. And sometimes, I think I’ll let him. Especially since I’m still new to magic. Maybe later, I’ll convince Starshadow to tell me everything. No secrets between us. 

“Um, Grena?” I call out, trying to find her. There’s a rustle of papers in the direction of the hall. I go there to see Grena standing over a table, papers spread haphazardly on top. She’s frantically picking up pens and circling different areas. She’s completely encased with her studies. “Grena?”

“Leilah, good, you’re here. You remember where you went?” Grena snaps around and grabs my arm. She hauls me forward. Her hand is about to switch from my arm to my hair. I snap a hand up and keep her from touching me. She gets the hint when she runs into my magic and backs off. “Sorry, but I need to know.”

“Know what?” I ask.

“The other locations of the three sisters.” Grena says as if it’s the most obvious thing ever. It’s unnerving to see her eyes glaze a little bit. “I need to know where Avarosa’s home can be found.” 

“Avarosa?”

“The three sisters! Lissandra, Avarosa, Serylda! Where are their castles???” Grena is starting to push my magic. I grunt a little bit as I’m forced to give more magic out. Her arms are pressing hard against my boundary. “Where are they???”

_ Starshadow!  _ I scream out for my bonded. Not even three seconds later, Starshadow’s body is coiled around mine protectively, his head above mine.  _ Wha- _

_ Illusions, Leilah. You go back to Ashe. I will handle her.  _ Starshadow attempts to push me towards the door.

_ No.  _

_ No? _

_ We’re two halves of an Aspect. We do this together.  _ I stand firmly besides Starshadow. Grena shakes her head a bit, trying to clear her head.

“Mom?”

_ Oh no. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, I did not expect this arc to go so long, but I'm not upset with it. In fact, I'm rather pleased because you guys, as readers, get to know the characters better, from Trundle being a friendly troll (have you seen his dance animation?) to Grena and her descent into the madness that would consume her. I'm also glad that this chapter is sort of like a filler, like the spirit festival chapter was, where Leilah got to relax and take some time to have fun or think. I wish that these filler chapters will always be happy, but we all know that no one that goes on constant adventures will always have a constant happy ending. 
> 
> Did anyone enjoy the new cinematic? I absolutely loved it! If anyone wants to help me figure out why Darius and Karma were enslaved (or attempted to be enslaved in karma's case) but no one from Demacia or Samira, feel free to PM me. I have a feeling it's because they were the obvious human challengers to the mist (annoying Yordles. Not even Viego wants to deal with them apparently). Both of Darius and Karma actively challenged the mist, whereas Samira was defending herself and Vayne disappears faster than batman does. It would also help me determine if and how Leilah would face off against Viego. I really doubt any of us would think it fun for our favorite duo if they were just puppets the entire time. What do you guys think?
> 
> As always, I sign off with my usual farewell. May your days be extraordinary with you wonderful people in it. 


	47. The Three Sisters

“Ashe, I need you to go train, ok?” Grena sputters out. Ashe looks so confused.

“What? Mom, you’re not making any sense. What’s going on?” Ashe demands. I feel so bad for the dirty blonde girl. I have to help her in some way.

“Ashe, Grena and I need to talk. In private.” I try to say as gently as I can.

“What about?” She asks. I bite my lip and look to my bonded for help. He looks just as confused as I. Grena’s a little… unstable. I really don’t want Ashe to hear her go nuts.

“We… There are some truths… Ashe we just need to talk in private.” I stammer a little bit.

“What about?” She repeats herself. 

_ Starshadow, what do I do? _

_ Beats me, I never had friends I wanted to keep secrets from. _

_ Me? _

_...You are still a new friend. I’m still working out the kinks, but you are easily distractible. _

_ I hate you. _

_ No you don’t. Now, fix this!  _ Starshadow redirects my attention back to the situation at hand.

_ This isn’t over, Starshadow…  _ I let this go because Ashe is more important. “Ashe, please. I’m really sorry, but I have to talk with Grena first. It’s… There might be things that will be difficult for you to hear, and I want to check with your mom first.” I do my best to persuade her. She still looks a little doubtful.

“Go on. Go train with Yrael, ok? We’ll talk about what Leilah knows afterwards.” Grena moves over to the girl and gently pushes her out.

“But- Mom-” Ashe tries to protest.

“GO!” She finally barks. Ashe flinches before running out of the house. I glare at Grena.

“What was that for?”

“She needs to train. Ashe, she’s special, but she can’t be the person I know she can be without working for it.” Grena states that like it means everything.

“Yeah, so’s Leilah. Let me tell you, a girl making others think twice-” Starshadow tries to defend me.

“That’s not going to help the situation, Starshadow.” I cut him off before staring down the giant Warmother. Her eyes… I’ve never seen any eyes like this before… No I have. This gets me on edge. I’ve seen eyes so passionate about their goal that I can’t stop the horror to come. This reminds me… of Vannis. “Grena?”

Grena notices me speaking to her. Her eyes turn on me as she stalks around the table. I do my best to keep the table between us, but she’s much faster than I thought. Her movements are stiff and smooth, like a predator stalking prey. I can’t help but feel a little scared. Like the wolf is hunting me.  _ Starshadow? _

_ Way ahead of you. _ Starshadow states in my mind. His body is already blocking Grena from reaching me. Grena tries to get around him, but Starshadow isn’t having any of it. I also ready myself in case she tries to hurt Starshadow. He can be our first line of defense, being more familiar with what our magic can do and more likely to die if one of us goes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help with my own. I’m the core, I have to keep enough magic for Starshadow to use. Well, enough for him and I to use, but in a high risk situation, I’m not about to use unnecessary magic when it could save me. Not until I’ve trained enough.

“I need to know. Did you find the palace of Lissandra?” Grena demands. She tries to grab me, but Starshadow grabs her wrist and forces her back. She still persists. “Did you find the palace of Lissandra!”

“Who’s Lissandra?” I ask. My legs and hands are starting to tremble. I’m… I’m scared. I’m terrified.  _ What can she do to me? What happens if I answer no? _

“The three sisters!” She once again states something apparently very obvious to her. Starshadow and I share a look.

_ Do you know what she’s talking about?  _ I ask.

_ The Blind One is ancient. You remember what she called me. She called me young! I mean I look fabulous despite the age- _

_ Quite the comments about your vanity, Starshadow. I’ll happily entertain them when we aren’t in a bad situation.  _ I glare at Starshadow slightly. He acquiesce to my request.

_ Fair enough. No, I don’t know the three sisters.  _ Starshadow’s voice is no longer that teasy happy one I know. It’s a bit odd to hear Starshadow not being snarky, but it’s a nice change when we’re in a bit of a situation that needs our focus.

_ Thank you. I promise, I’ll buff your scales after all this is said and done. Deal?  _ I really can’t help but try to do something for him. He’s going to be insufferable now.

_ You sure know how to treat a celestial well. I will accept your bribery.  _ Starshadow doesn’t stop watching Grena during our entire conversation, but I can sense Starshadow’s anticipation of the promised pampering. Though, she’s different compared to her manic energy from before. She’s calmed down a bit. She shakes her head a little bit before sitting down. Her eyes become glued to the maps. She frantically pulls them over to me before Starshadow can stop her. His hood flairs as he starts to lunge forward.  _ Leilah! _

_ I’ll be alright. She’s not trying to grab me.  _ I do my best to keep Starshadow calm. Grena didn’t actually touch me. She just pulled maps to me. She frantically organizes the maps so lines of regions overlap, but it’s off. The edges of the Freljord are crooked as each map fails to line with another. I reach out to make them line up properly. Her hands grabs mine and yanks me to point somewhere random. Starshadow hisses quite loudly and lunges.  _ NO! _

_ She’s attacking you!  _ Starshadow stops himself mid-lunge. Grena doesn’t even notice Starshadow’s agitation.

_ No, she’s not. She’s not hurting me.  _ I yelp in my head to calm Starshadow from holding her against her will again. His red eyes never leave her, even when she lets go and scans the maps herself.

“Where was it? Where was Lissandra’s palace?” She looks back at me. Her eyes, they aren’t crazed anymore. They’re calmer. They’re still certainly uneasy, but she’s not going nuts over it. If anything, she looks depressed, like everything she thought of that could happen just vanished.

“Tell me about these three sisters. I don’t know who this Lissandra is.” I stay calm. I even place a hand on top of hers. 

_ Leilah… _

_ She’s sad, Starshadow. She could use a friend.  _ I comfort Starshadow while I offer Grena the same. Starshadow looks dubious, but he’s not fighting me. He does shrink down and climb up my body to perch himself on my shoulders. My right hand reaches up to the level of my ear. Starshadow presses his head against my hand before settling down inside my scarf.

“I told you about the three sisters. I know I did.” She persists. 

“When?”

“While… you were resting.” Her eyes clear up even more and she sinks into a chair. She looks like she’s back to normal, so I relax. I’m a little tired from being on edge, so I just… take a seat on the table. Mother would be so mad if she knew I was sitting on a table, but there’s no other chair and I want to be calm in front of her. Oh, the things I do now that I didn’t before.

Grena puts her head in her hands. She looks so tired, but she also looks composed. She is strong and weak. I really don't know how to describe it. My best guess is that she’s like a leader that’s slowly losing control of herself, like she’s missing a crucial part of her goal. The face of someone who’s just done with life. Taric had that face once. Granted, he was more of the dishonoured type, but he was exhausted and didn’t want to keep going. I’m still glad he did.

“The three sisters… Many centuries ago, almost to the time of the creation of Runeterra, there were three sisters. These sisters, they were powerful witches on their own. Strong enough to survive in the Freljord. They proclaimed that they were born for war. Many mortals attempted to fight them. All of them failed. These three sisters got the attention of beings stronger than them. Some of them approved of the sister’s work. Some of them did not. Those that didn’t, the three sisters fought against. They were a proud family that took to any challenge. That, in the eyes of many, was a sin. Eventually, all of them were punished for their transgressions. According to legend, each found an opponent that they could not overcome. Serylda, for attempting to conquer the heavens with words, lost her voice. Avarosa, for facing the darkness underneath, lost her hearing to the darkness below. And Lissandra, her sight, for defying the gods on the mortal plain.”

_ The Blind One.  _ Starshadow remarks in my head.  _ We met the Blind one. _

_ Not necessarily. Someone might have been born with the powers of the ice and just took on the mantle of Lissandra. _

_ You don’t understand, Leilah. That… being, I could definitely tell was much, much older than I. _

_ Maybe it could have been magic? There’s no way someone like that is older than you. _

_ Aurelion Sol? _

_...Sorry, I meant there’s no way a mortal on this earth can be older than you. _

_ Believe what you will, but she was real, with ancient powers.  _

_...Good point. _

“They all lost a part of themselves, but when they stood united, no one could stop them. They were such a force to be reckoned with even the gods they fought were wary of them. They were born under the Freljord skies, but they were not Iceborn. Lissandra, without her sight, heard whispers that promised power in her dreams. She accepted. The power of the Iceborn. The colds would not touch them, they were hardier, and they were ready for a fight. With their new powers, they gifted their closest followers their gift. None with the ability would suffer under the touch of Ice.

“This is where the sisters started to fight among themselves. Lissandra made a deal to let their enemies come forth. Avarosa hated the thought of being servants to those that gave the gift. Serylda disliked the thought of what would happen. Lissandra did her best to smooth things over, but she failed. Their enemies did not like it, and so spilled onto the Freljord. Lissandra and her sisters fought as hard as they could, but all three had to sacrifice themselves to stop their enemies. We can only wait for Avarosa to come back. And I think that Ashe is the reincarnation of Avarosa.” Grena finishes her tale.

I’m a little bit stunned. This tale of the three sisters is much bigger than I thought.

_ Ok, shall we piece together what was that tale?  _ Starshadow murmurs in my head.

_ First of all, her tale says that Lissandra died as well. We can’t have met her. _

_ Tales are often told by the victor. Because there’s only one strong point, I’ll bring up Aurelion Sol again. _

_ You think that it’s possible that Lissandra survived but changed the story? _

_ Maybe. _

_ If that’s the case, we could have really met Lissandra then.  _ I feel a shiver down my spine at the thought of it.

_ It’s possible. But that would mean Lissandra has been alive for centuries. She’s been alone for a long time. Shouldn’t she have reincarnated? _

_ Not necessarily. The legends say that they were given power. It might be possible that the original receivers would be immortal, like you taking the powers of Aspect and Darkin.  _ Starshadow adds. I honestly freeze.  _ What? _

_...I yelled at an elderly.  _ My heart drops down to my feet. Oh, Mother would KILL me if she ever heard me say something that blunt and cruel to someone with wisdom.

Naturally, Starshadow finds my panic hilarious. He bursts out into snakey laughter and flops onto the table. His mouth is open in silent laughter from how much amusement he’s in. Grena and I both stare at my snake, her because she’s not sure what I said, while I’m just not amused.

_ Are… you… serious? You care more about the fact that you disrespected an elder person when you are trying to help Grena?  _ Starshadow stops laughing for a moment to look in my face. When there’s not a trace of a joke on my face, he goes back to his little hissy laughter.  _ You are! We have more important things to talk about and your biggest worry is you disrespected an ancient being. You slapped Daamien in the face once! _

_ Can we get back on topic, please?  _ I blush. Starshadow is bringing up an old point. I will probably need to apologize to him the next time I see him.

_ Sure.  _ Starshadow lets out a few snickers as he composes himself. He shakes his head to calm himself back down. Once he’s done cackling, he slithers up to my neck. His tail pokes my cheeks, making my cheeks glow again.  _ Alright, I’m done. What else? _

_ Grena thinks that Ashe is Avarosa reincarnated. That’s a huge deal. _

_ I’d like to know why though…  _ Starshadow presses his head against my neck.  _ Go ahead. You ask. _

_ You sure? _

_ You’re the one holding Aurora and Daamien, and you’ve done really well, even with your meltdown accounted for. Go ask. _

“Why do you think that Ashe is Avarosa?” I turn to Grena. Grena looks at me with soft eyes.

“How can she not be? She’s the only child of mine to have survived past the first winters. That’s already special to me. She’s an Iceborn. Yrael told me she’s strong. And I want what’s best for her. She’s so kind, helping the children and adults. I’ve seen her give up food for others, something that I believe the great Avarosa would do. Not to mention our village is a follower for Avarosa’s beliefs, so she’d be more than likely to be reborn in one of her follower’s villages.” Grena places her head on the table. There are tracks of tears down her face. “I just need to know, did you find Lissandra’s palace?” 

“Why do you want to know about Lissandra’s palace?” I ask. I feel Starshadow’s head jerk up a little bit.

_ That’s a good point. Why did she care so much about a palace? More importantly, why didn’t I pick that up? _

_ The same reason why you came with me in the first place. To notice anything I wouldn’t.  _ I pat his head. Starshadow still twitches a little bit in annoyance.

_ Yeah, but I’m the celestial. I’m older, I should see these things. I have to protect you.  _ He’s very annoyed, with little growls coming through. 

_ I’m the human between the two of us. I know humans better than you, and since I don’t have the weight of at least a centuries worth of knowledge in my head, I can pick out different things.  _ I feel Starshadow slither up my body to look me directly in my eyes.

_...When did you get so mature? _

_ When there’s a child that needs help. You never wondered why Geras and Lye got along?  _

_ Who are they? _

_ My childhood friends? _

_ Oh. Don’t care.  _ Starshadow’s tongue flicks out and tickles my neck.

_ You are the worst. _

“I… I……” Grena shakes her head again, as if trying to clear it. She’s silent. We both know that my answer would change everything. Starshadow’s head rises to be next to my ear as we both wait for Grena to answer. It’s clear she’s thinking hard, but she can’t come up with an answer strong enough for us to accept.

“When you do know, let me know. I’m going to go help a very confused twelve year old.” I excuse myself, patting her shoulder. She gives a small dip of her head before I leave the house. Closing the door behind me, I wilt against it. That… was intense. I’ve never been in a situation like that, where I have to take charge and get what I wanted. I really don’t know how Starshadow does this all the time.

_ You ok?  _ Starshadow’s head brushes against my chin. I nod. My hand tangles itself into my hair as I struggle to calm down.

_ Kinda. I didn’t like it when Grena grabbed me. Is that what you’ve been doing all this time? When I was asleep or learning or I couldn’t understand what was being said? _

_ Yeah. I didn’t think you were capable of handling situations like that. Honestly, I still don’t, but I was willing to give you a chance after you insisted. Also, that mind speak is coming along nicely.  _ Starshadow sounds so proud of me. I almost tear up from the affection he’s giving, even if I know it’s only temporary.

“I still prefer to talk out loud.” I murmur into his scales.

_ And you were doing so well.  _ He teases me

“Oh, come on, Starshadow, I need a break! There’s no serious conversation to be had, so there!”

_ ‘So there’? That’s the best you have?  _ Starshadow mocks me a little bit. I roll my eyes at him as I push off the door.

“I’m mentally exhausted from talking with Grena, ok? Now, where’s Ashe?”

_ You have the magic. Go use it. I’m going to talk with Daamien and Aurora. Maybe they have some insight as to how we solve this.  _ Starshadow lets out a wide yawn before nestling himself in my scarf. 

“Are you going to do that every single time we run into an issue?” 

_ No… Just while you get used to being included. You think I want to interrupt them? You’re like their personal vacation away from the hell around us. Besides… there are things they do that I certainly do not want to watch. Them being lovey dovey being one. _

“Wait, what?” I yelp and try to look at my snake. Starshadow, for his part, knows exactly how to annoy me. He’s already gone to talk with them. I can’t help but look to the heavens for a little bit of patience with my snake. After a moment of grumbling, I start to look for a certain heiress.

The village is quiet. There’s a few kids that are running around, having fun. With the summer months coming, it’s easy to see who are Iceborn and who are Hearthborn. The Iceborn don’t like wearing much as compared to the firmly wrapped Hearthborn. It’s really cute to see them all scramble to play. Sometimes the Hearthborn trip over themselves because of the amount of clothes they’re under. Each time one of the Hearthborn falls, the Iceborn are right there to help them get right back up. It’s very sweet. Some of the older children watch over them while they do various chores. There seem to be the same amount of children and adults, so perhaps some of the adults are hunting? In the meantime, I have a lot of thinking to do.

Grena’s convinced that Ashe is a reincarnation of Avarosa. I’m really not sure why. She’s a sweet kid, yeah, but it’s also really possible that Grena thinks the world of her daughter. I know my parents think the world of me. But to think her daughter is a reincarnation, that’s insane. There’s no way to know who is a reincarnation at all. It also sounds like the sisters were frozen, so maybe their soul could never reincarnate. I want to tear my hair out from all the pondering I’m doing. The questions about the palace also have me on edge. She didn’t ask much about Lissandra herself, but her palace. Why does she care more about locations than she does a person?

I can’t figure it out. Instead of dwelling on it more, I’m going to actually find Ashe. When I stand up, the kids who were watching me all scatter like rabbits to their holes. Starshadow shifts a little bit, his head nosing into my neck. It tickles a little bit. Still, I have a goal in mind. I summon my guiding light to find where my friend is. Turns out, she was just around the corner, Yrael nowhere to be seen. She just looks troubled.

“Do you want someone to listen?” I ask. She jumps slightly. Her blue eyes glance between the ground and me before she nods.

“Yeah. I’m worried about Mom. This is the first year I haven’t gotten to see Sejuani. I don’t know if that’s what’s making Mom so anxious. I’ve never seen her so invested in maps before.” Ashe murmurs quietly. “Everyone’s looking to me for guidance since my mom is a bit… busy, but I don’t want it. I just want to be a normal person.”

“Well, if it helps, she wasn’t asking about Sejuani. She just wanted to know what happened to me while I was out there. Besides, if you want to be normal to the rest of the village, you are talking to the right person. Starshadow is always going on and on about how I’m important, that I cannot be sacrificed, but I still feel like that small farmer girl that grew up in Targon.” I do my best to comfort her.

“I’m not sure if that’s good news. And I really doubt you can be anything but normal.” Ashe pulls at her hair a little bit. I pat her shoulder.

“It’ll be alright, Ashe.” I ignore the comment about my lack of normality since that is not the issue we need to talk about.

“Has this ever happened to you?” Ashe’s hopeful face turns towards mine.

“Not… entirely…” I start hesitantly. “But I do know how it feels to be in a hopeless situation. Anything that could possibly help, you would take it.”

“Why do you know?” Ashe asks me. I take in a deep breath.

“Because I was held prisoner once. Without my magic, I would not be able to see. I might not have even lived this long.” I confess. Her head snaps to mine.

“What? How? Is that what Starshadow referred to as your hell?” Ashe asks quickly. I nod slowly.

“Yeah. I’m not sure how long I was held for, months probably. Every day, they would torture me. It took a few weeks of making Starshadow go mad before we realized my magic could be helpful in that situation. Still, I was withering away. We almost died during our escape. I think I did actually die, I don’t exactly know.” I keep the worst of the details out. Still, it seems like Ashe pieced together what I was talking about as her face turns green.

“How did you get out?” Ashe whimpers.

“The real reason? A stroke of luck. The boss didn’t like that Starshadow was weak and threw him to the ground. Starshadow had enough life in him to get to me. We teleported out. If you want to know why I survived for so long, besides my magic, was because Starshadow needed me. He needs me alive to be alive, so I fought to keep myself alive and not take any nefarious deals.” 

“How is this related to me?” Ashe demands. She stands up and starts to pace. I look at her with sorrow. She should have never had to go through something like this.

“Because you looked so down and unsure. I wanted to tell you the worst I went through so you know that everything will work out. Though, it shouldn’t be as bad as my own experience.” I joke a little bit. The corner of Ashe’s mouth lifts up a bit before she takes a deep breath. She starts to walk away from me, though she stops at the corner of a house. She turns back and looks at me expectantly. I follow her lead. The girl walks towards her house. She slams open the door to see Grena still deep in thought.

“Mom.” Ashe’s voice is firm. Grena doesn’t respond. Ashe walks forward and shakes Grena’s shoulder. Grena looks up in surprise. “Mom, you need to stop.”

“I can’t. I need Avarosa’s palace.” Grena responds. That explains the need to know if a location can be confirmed. She stands up again and starts to search her maps. Ashe looks at me. Her hand gestures to the maps. I flick my hands forward, obscuring the paper. Grena growls as she looks up at her daughter. Ashe, for her part, remains firm.

“Mom, the village needs your guidance. Please.” Ashe begs. She grabs her Mom’s hands. Grena looks to Ashe, looking like she’s finally seeing her daughter. “Be the Warmother Vathcaer needs.”

I stand by quietly, waiting for something to happen. Mother and daughter just stare at each other, completely still. I’ll be honest, I’m incredibly impressed with the girl. Standing one’s ground to their mother is incredibly hard. I still haven’t managed to do so with my own mother. 

After what seems like an eternity, Grena relaxes. She nods and pats her daughter’s head with love before she walks out the house. I can hear her giving instructions to the remaining villagers. Ashe comes over to my side and gives me a tight hug.

“Thanks, Leilah.” Ashe murmurs into my chest. I give her a hug back before standing back a little bit.

“Sorry if my tale didn’t exactly help, but-”

“No, you said that you went through the worst of it because you had someone to fight for. I’m sure that no matter what happens, I think my mom and I will be alright. I have to fight for my people after all.” Ashe replies. I smile before standing back a little bit.

“Go ahead, Ashe. Go spend time with your mom.” I smile. She returns it and leaves the room. I look back to the maps and stop my magic. I carefully align all the maps properly before willing my magic to reveal the location of Lissandra’s palace. A little beacon of light appears in the north east. On a tall mountain. I let out a breath like someone just punched me in the stomach. The three sisters are real. I truly did meet Lissandra, but I did not see her palace. Aspects above, what do I do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Grena's starting to get unstable a little earlier than anticipated. I've always had a theory about Grena's attitude. Grena was always obsessed with finding Avarosa's palace, especially when Ashe was born, but she could focus on her daughter so she wouldn't get too crazy. When Sejuani was taken away, Grena realized that even if Ashe was older, she could still be gone. I think that's what caused Grena to go nuts. It started off small to Ashe, but outsiders and others would bare her wrath. Her vision over who was safe would slowly get smaller over the next five years until it was only Ashe, the only daughter that survived and had the same heart as their chosen sister. 
> 
> Also, thank you to those that have PM'ed me theories about the ruined king. There's one I definitely love, but... I'm not gonna share it yet. We are going to visit the Shadow Isles after the next location (Yes, it's a spoiler. I'm super excited about it since I've been theorizing how Leilah, someone who is meant to be a guide, would interact with a group of people who are lost. The time of how long that story has been sitting got to me, so feel lucky that I couldn't keep it to myself any longer.) I really love hearing ideas and bouncing off different reasons. It's a shame that they only gave three locations. Like, Bildgewater, anyone? That should DEFINITELY be a place of possessions! Feel free to guess where we're going next. Here's a hint, someone's got an unfinished story right now.
> 
> May your days be Extraordinary because you are in them.


	48. Intentions Revealed

My door bangs open. Starshadow leaps off the bed and shifts into his largest possible form that doesn’t make me pass out, a full fifteen feet. His hood flairs open and he pops out fangs. I yelp as I wake up and prepare to hold whoever’s coming through the door with magic. It takes a moment of staring at Ashe before I realize who woke me up.

_ Who? What? Where?  _ Starshadow’s head flails around searching for missing danger. His tail whips around angrily, knocking into the bed a couple of times. Another squeak is pulled from my throat as his tail sneaks up the bed to my leg and yanks me out. He pulls me into his protection as he continues to search for danger. My head is still in a sleepy state.

_ Starshadow, it’s Ashe.  _ I mumble a little bit in my head as my heart slowly comes back down to normal. Starshadow also stops flailing around. He places me back on the bed before going back to his smaller form and slinking underneath the covers.

“That was cruel, Ashe. Especially-”

“I have coffee if you are going to complain about it.” Ashe interrupts Starshadow’s grumbling. Over the past three months, Ashe has learned of Starshadow’s taste for new things, though the best way to get him to stop complaining is to give him some coffee. Ashe also taught me how to brew it properly, so whenever we’re gone, we can purchase coffee beans with favors and I can make him coffee. Starshadow was quite happy as Ashe taught me as he constantly got to have coffee as we practiced. He was mad when the week ended, but he’s still getting coffee, just not as much. 

“You’d better. I hate being woken up before I have all my rest.” Starshadow grumbles. Ashe makes her way next to the bed and places down a very full cup of coffee. My bonded takes his sweet time getting to the warm mug. He dunks his head into the mug, like he would wake up just by being in its presence. If he was a normal snake…

“I’m really sorry-” Ashe starts. I hold a hand up.

“We really should have expected it. It’s ok. Besides, I have a feeling I’m going to be in unpleasant times and I need to wake up at bad moments. I’ll just consider this as practice.” I gently wave her off.

“Don’t be silly, Leilah. You’re always trying to be nice, even when I annoy you. I really am sorry for waking you guys up like that, but I’m worried.”

“What’s wrong?” I’m a little more awake now that there’s trouble. Starshadow pulls his head out of his coffee to pay attention. I offer Ashe a seat next to me. She eagerly takes it.

“Mom’s gone. She went off to go talk to a rival tribe to talk with them about something. You remember that they went a week ago?” Ashe starts to play with her hair. I guess that the girl picked up that habit from me. It’s a bad habit I use to comfort myself. I grab her hand and try to stop her.

“Yeah. What’s the matter?”

“She should have come back by now. It’s a two day journey east. She told me it wouldn’t be too long and that I would be in charge for no more than five days. I really-”

“Ashe, calm down! You’ve been doing very well. The kids are all safe, the hunters are getting ready for the snowy season, the others have gathered enough grain and vegetables. There have been a few disputes that you’ve handled really well.” I remind her. Since our talk, Grena hasn’t been doing too bad. She became the leader of her tribe after that moment. She assigned people to do work, she taught the children their history, and she’s been spending time with Ashe. I really don’t see much concern, though my presence here denies it. Maybe it’s just there is no more trouble out there? 

A month ago, I asked Starshadow to try to teleport us to my home in Targon. Starshadow shook his head, stating that he hasn’t trained with Daamien enough to make a teleport straight to anywhere, just close places. When I asked to go to Ionia as practice, he also said it was too far. I suggested a few jumps around, but he didn’t like it. Something about rumors around the Freljord of Noxus getting ready for war, but I’m not exactly sure. Either way, Starshadow really doesn’t want to chance it. Especially if we’re still needed somewhere. I’m not sure why he would be concerned that much because Daamien’s teleports take almost no magic from me. I’d guess he’s being incredibly prideful and not wanting to waste my magic, the jerk that he is. I have had plenty. He really could use the practice.

I haven’t been idle these past few months either. I’ve been talking with Grena, keeping an eye on her behaviour. So far, she hasn’t lashed out at myself or Ashe. Starshadow would sometimes leave my side to spy on her. Each time he returned he told me that she was just studying her papers. Sometimes she’d read through books, other times she'd just be looking out the window and looking at Ashe. She hasn’t pursued the topic of Avarosa’s throne, but I’m just waiting for that day. There’s no way after that manic episode that she won’t ask. And I’m prepared this time. 

“But I’m worried! Mom hasn’t been herself when the summer came and went.” Ashe protests. She stands up from the bed and paces my room. Starshadow just dunks his head back into his coffee. It’s very hard to get him concerned about anything that doesn’t involve me. I’m a little worried he won’t be able to breathe, but he hasn’t drowned yet.

“She’ll be fine, Ashe. Starshadow and I haven’t teleported to her, so you can reasonably assume that your Mom is alright.” I remind her. She flicks her eyes over at me before sighing and nodding.

“I guess you’re right. Sorry. I’ve been up all night wondering if she’s hurt or something.” Ashe murmurs. I can tell she’s exhausted. Once all her energy is used up, it’s easy to see the bags under her eyes. She really hasn’t been sleeping well. 

“Why don’t you get some sleep? The village is rather good at self maintenance.” I stand up and bring her to her bed. She comes with me willingly. I’m almost surprised at how easy it was to get the stubborn heir to listen to me. We go to her room. I pull the covers back and gesture for Ashe to climb in. Once she does, she falls asleep like a blown candle. 

Over the past few months, I’ve become quite the confidant to her. When her mother was too busy to train Ashe, she’d come to me or Starshadow. When she was feeling lonely, she’d come and talk to me. I’ve told her so many stories about my adventures with Starshadow, the ones where I wasn’t being held prisoner. I told her about Qiyana, a sweet little princess just wanting some affection. I told her all about Shen and Kusho. I even told her about my meeting with Pantheon all those years ago, though some of the details are hazy. I can’t remember Atreus’s friend’s name anymore. I really wish I did. He deserves someone to remember him besides Atreus.

I carefully close the door behind me as I walk out. I nearly scream when I see Grena standing outside. My heart thumps rapidly for the second time this morning.

“Hi, Grena.” I gasp out. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I was worried about Ashe. Is she alright?” Grena looks like she wants to go in, but she also doesn’t want to disturb her daughter.

“She was worried out of her mind last night. She didn’t sleep at all. Where were you these past few days?” I whisper to her. There’s no accusation in my voice. Grena sighs a little bit.

“Discussions did not go well. We… had to fight our way out.” Grena murmurs quietly. She does not meet my eyes while she speaks. I narrow mine.

“Don’t lie, Grena. Right now, I know what you want to know, but you lying to me makes me not want to give it to you.” I snap. Grena glares at me before pulling out a familiar spear and hatchet. I back up a little bit.

“You have been withholding that information for three months now. Why haven’t you told me if you saw Lissandra’s palace?” Grena snarls quietly. Her hatchet comes a little too close to my hand, but I don’t feel the cold. 

“You haven’t told me why you want to know.” I retort. Grena lets out a soft growl before slicing the hatchet forward. It catches my right pinky. The pain blazes in my mind. If I was anyone else, I would be paralyzed. Though, having one’s eyes ripped out daily makes this seem like child’s play. My left hand flies forward and the Warmother cannot move any more. I cradle my right arm to my chest, tears flowing in my effort to not scream. Ashe doesn’t need to see her Mother like this.

“Tell me! For Ashe!” Grena snaps.

“Why for Ashe?” 

“Because if Lissandra had a palace, then they are real. That means Avarosa is as well. And if Lissandra had a palace, so did Avarosa, and there would be weapons Ashe could give to the people to defend ourselves.” Grena finally answers the question I have been asking for so long. I glance down at my right pinky. It’s already healed the bleeding. My hand tingles a little bit as the pinky starts to regrow. I shiver slightly. It’s such a weird feeling to have an appendage regrow, even if it’s so small.

“Was that really so hard to answer?”

“Yes. Because Starshadow said you can’t fight. And I didn’t think you would want Ashe to get weapons!” Grena snarls. Finally, the truth comes out. She was trying to find an answer that would make me feel comfortable enough to give an answer.

“That’s not what I asked, Grena! I wanted to know why you wanted to know, not what answer would be satisfactory enough for me to agree!” I snap. I feel a soft pull at my magic. My eyes widen and I turn around to see Starshadow staring at the finger on the ground. It’s covered in ice. Starshadow’s still small, but the tug in my gut says that something’s about to happen, and Starshadow won’t care.

“What… did you do…” Starshadow’s hiss has never sounded so cold. I place myself between the small foot long snake and the giant woman frozen in place. I can’t help but feel like this is a bit ironic. I have to protect a massive warrior… from a tiny snake… that can instantly grow in size and possibly hurt anyone while ignoring the limitation on our magic...

_ Starshadow, stop. _

_ No. Not this time. This time she went too far.  _ Starshadow’s body is puffing and curling a lot. He’s about to strike. It’s nice to see that he hasn’t gone large enough to actually take me out, but I don’t know how long he’ll have that restraint.

_ Please, Starshadow. _

_ No. She attacked you!  _ Starshadow’s body slowly inches left and right. I make sure he doesn’t have a clear shot.  _ I’m going to kill her! _

_ No, you aren’t!  _ I snap and throw out my right hand. My pinky’s halfway back. Starshadow can’t move. I can feel his magic attack mine. He even takes mine, trying to wear me down. I glare at him.  _ We can’t kill anyone, Starshadow! You’ll die if you do! _

_ She should not get away with that!  _ Starshadow’s tail escapes my magic for a moment. It flinches angrily before I pull it back under my control. 

_ She’s a parent, Starshadow! _

_ Don’t you dare defend your attacker, Leilah!  _ Starshadow finally breaks out. I feel my magic shatter a little bit as he attempts to dash past me. I manage to grab him by his tail and yank him into my hold.  _ LET ME GO! I’LL PUNISH HER! SHE PROMISED! _

_ We’re going downstairs. We’re not going to fight outside of Ashe’s room.  _ I state firmly. I flick my left hand. Grena stiffens as her body moves for her, walking down the hall and downstairs. I hold Starshadow tightly in my arms as I follow. The entire time we’re moving, I have to figure out how to handle this horrible situation. Grena’s gone mad, but it’s clear she loves her daughter dearly. I think she’s reached the end of her patience and lashed out. Everything has always been about Ashe. Then there’s Starshadow, who’s made it his life’s mission to keep me safe to the best of his ability. Right now, it’s negligible, so he enlists others. I can sense his feelings right now from how passionate he is about this. He’s angry… at himself. He’s furious at Grena, disappointed in himself, and worried about me. All that magic that he pulled from me was him gathering enough magic to break her neck in his tiny form. I’m incredibly glad I stopped him now.

We come to the table covered in maps. I force Grena to take a seat. She makes noises in her throat as she tries to fight it. I keep Starshadow in my arms. He stopped fighting me. I guess he knows the pointlessness of trying since I can hold him if I need to. Right now, he’s just hissing angrily. There’s no words from how infuriated he is. I carefully set him down. He lets himself grow so he’s the same size he was this morning. He isn’t attempting anything though. 

_ Starshadow?  _ I’m a little uneasy at Starshadow’s silence.

_ I thought I could trust her. Turns out I was wrong. I have to right it.  _ Starshadow spits. In front of Grena, he opens his mouth to reveal long fangs. I grab the bottom of his jaw and force him to close it before I turn it to face me. My magic can hold Grena. Starshadow is my priority now.

_ Not at the cost of yourself. And you won’t hurt Grena.  _ I state firmly. Starshadow growls in his throat.  _ No. Tell me, Starshadow, if you’d kill over a little injury, what happens if I’m ever in such a risky situation I could die, I don’t have you? You’d abandon me because of a pinky? _

_ That’s really not a small injury, Leilah!  _ Starshadow protests loudly in my head. I lift up my hand. The right pinky is almost back. It’s just missing the nail.

_ Compared to my eyes being ripped out everyday when I was still magically weak, I’ll take it.  _ I retort. Starshadow’s hood shrinks a little bit as he calms down.

_ That’s no excuse for her attacking you, Leilah! She could do that to Ashe. Or anyone else.  _ Starshadow’s calmer. He’s not trying to rip into her at the very least, though he’s still very mad.

_ She would never hurt Ashe, Starshadow. She does everything for her. I can at least promise you that. _

_ Oh, yeah, that makes one person. The rest of her village will suffer.  _ Starshadow points out. I sigh and start to play with my hair. This is not a good situation to be in.

_ … I don’t know what to do. I really don’t know. _

_ I do.  _ Starshadow’s head whips back to the warmother. He gets right in her face. Her skin pales drastically at the sight of a twelve inch snake. I feel like I blink and suddenly I’m looking at a huge Darkin version of him. There’s no pull on my magic, though his hood is rough and full of jagged ridges. He slinks around Grena, showing off his body that’s half my height. This is the size he was on Mount Targon, though somehow he’s much more terrifying. His scales are cracked much like my eye. They ripple with red pulses. Grena stares at him in fright as he gets in her face. Even his eyes look like they’re going to murder her. Then I blink again and he’s just a small snake again.

“After that stunt, all we will do is tell you that the three sisters did exist. We will never confirm if they had palaces. We will never confirm where they are. If Ashe needs us, we will come to her, only her.” He’s as cold as before. I can start to feel a little tremor in his voice. Grena’s face is getting paler and paler. So does Starshadow. I yank my snake back. It seems to break the spell she’s under as she blinks. Grena’s eyes focus on me. Starshadow hisses in annoyance.

_ What the hell? _

_ You’re suffering too. _

_ She deserves it.  _ Even if he’s convinced she deserved it, I can see his body trembling. I pick him up. My magic floods his body. The tremors stop. I walk over to Grena and place a hand on her shoulder. The tremors on her stop too. I can feel my head getting a little woozy, but I have to do it.

_ No, she doesn’t. Even more, you don’t deserve to be hurt either.  _ I gently stroke Starshadow’s head. He relaxes a little bit and snuggles into my neck.

_ You are too kind, Leilah.  _ Starshadow fully relaxes. I sigh and help him to my neck. It’s feeling a little bare without my scarf.

“I-I-Is he g-g-going t-t-to…” Grena stammers. It seems to enrage Starshadow a little bit as he feels a little warm. A soft pat to his back has him cool down a little bit.

“No, Grena, he won’t. But he has made our decision.” I state as calmly as I can. 

“But you c-c-can-”

“We’re two halves of a whole. If one of us decides something, unless we really don’t like it, we won’t argue with the other’s choice.” I remark out loud. I feel Starshadow’s head bob in agreement. “I may not like how he did it, but I will not go against that decision.”

_ Thanks, Leilah. For having my back. _

_ We have each other’s. _

“Please! Please I need to know!” Grena wails. My heart breaks seeing her eyes dim, but I really don’t want to tell her. If she’s like this without knowing, what would she be like if she did? “Does Avarosa have a palace?”

“Grena-” I start to speak but a familiar feeling pulls at my stomach. I look down to see shadows being to bunch under our feet. A glance at Starshadow tells me that he isn’t causing it… That means… “No! Daamien, I don’t want to go!”

_ He knows you were hurt and we completed what we could do. We’re getting you out of here.  _ Starshadow sounds happy at the thought.

“No! No, I want to say goodbye to Ashe first! She doesn’t deserve another friend being ripped away from her!” I scream. Grena looks a little confused, even more so when the shadow’s stop climbing up. I thought I managed to stop the climb, but they just keep going after a moment. “Please, no! No! Not again!”

_ Oh, Calm down, Leilah. Daamien heard. I’m teleporting us now. You get a few minutes.  _ Starshadow sounds a little exasperated. I calm down a little bit and watch Grena as she reaches for me. Starshadow lunges forward, causing her to hesitate. It’s enough for us to teleport upstairs into Ashe’s room. Knowing that we don’t have much time, I shake Ashe awake. Her eyes flutter open. She rubs her eyes a little bit before sitting up slightly.

“Leilah? What are you doing? Why are the shadows bunched underneath you? What’s-” Ashe stammers a little bit. I pull her into a hug.

“I’m so sorry, Ashe. I have to go.” I whisper in her ear. A few tears come out of my eyes. 

“What do you mean?” Her voice trembles. Starshadow slithers out of the door quickly. 

“Ashe, something went wrong. I’m… needed somewhere else. I’m sorry, I’m being teleported away.” I fib a little bit. I’m really not sure where we are going to go, but I doubt Ashe wants to know that her mother attacked me.

_ We’re going now.  _ Starshadow snaps. I let go enough to see Starshadow returned, this time holding my scarf in his mouth. He slithers up my neck and wraps it around my neck.  _ That’s much better. _

“Leilah… Starshadow?” Ashe sounds incredibly confused. I sigh and pat her head.

“Know that your mother loves you, Ashe.” I murmur. The shadows flow up again. Starshadow looks rather miffed at the thought of Grena, but he’s not saying anything.  _ Thank you. _

_ I’m not going to say anything to Ashe. She makes good coffee. I’d hate for that to deteriorate.  _ Starshadow mumbles. I roll my eyes, knowing that it’s Starshadow’s way of saying he cares about her and he won’t tell her what Grena did.

“Leilah- wait!” Ashe screams out as Daamien’s magic teleports us away. I wish I could have given her some comfort, but the magic pools faster than I can say something.

* * *

_ Oh, my head.  _ I whine a little bit as we come out of the shadows. I walk around a little bit wonkily. 

_ Well, you did use magic to heal yourself, even if you didn’t feel it. And I teleported us before hand.  _ Starshadow remarks. His head peaks out through my hair as he takes in our surroundings. My head pounds a little bit too much for me to focus. I feel my hand reach out and touch a tree. The bark, while uncomfortable, is a very welcome feeling.  _ Uh, Leilah…  _

“What is it?” I shake my head clear. There’s a yellow flower, very familiar to me, lying innocent on the ground. I know which country we’re in. Immediately, I cast magic on my body. My hair stops floating, turning back to the dark brown hair I once had. My eyes also shift, though I can’t tell if they went back to my old brown ones or not. My clothes lose their thickness, making it much more comfortable for me since this country is much warmer. My scarf becomes a more transparent form of itself. My boots go back to the ones my parents gave me. I actually bend down and gently tap them. It’s comforting to feel something that my parents gave me, even if it’s technically not their handiwork. I miss them.

With my identity somewhat hidden, I finally take in my surroundings. We’re in the middle of a forest. Sunlight peaks through the leafy canopy. The ground beneath our feet is covered in roots. I’m surprised I didn’t trip over anything before I found a tree. A vine under my hand glows a little bit. I yank it off and carefully look around. It feels like we’re getting to the end of summer. I wipe a few beads of sweat off my brow. It’s rather hot and humid here.

_ Well, you took care of the most immediate problem. Now, how about the person still hiding in the trees?  _ Starshadow asks.  _ The one that is currently attempting to clobber us with a club? _

Thanks to Starshadow’s warning, I manage to turn around in time to see said club coming to my face. I barely manage to dodge out of the way, though I end up tripping and falling down. I land very harshly on my butt, causing a grunt to come out of my mouth. My assailant starts to swing again. I scoot back into the trunk. I don’t have a way to stop them without revealing my magic. All I can do is cover my head and hope I’m going to get killed.

“Leilah?” A voice cracks. It sounds a lot like a very familiar boy that I tried to help so long ago. I peek through my arms to see that it’s a young man with knotted brown hair and dark eyes. He relaxes his hold on his weapon. It drops with a thump as the boy looks to hug me, though he looks like he catches himself. His hands twitch by his side as he kneels in front of me. “It’s you! The mage seekers didn’t get to you. That’s good. Your aura is too beautiful to be captured.” Only one person I know has the ability to see magic.

“Sylas?” I feel a little hopeful. “Is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” He smiles. His smile drops and he backs away. 

“What’s wrong?” I fall onto my knees and crawl towards him. It’s his turn to scramble away.

“No, you need to stay away. I don’t want to hurt you!” Sylas yelps. He throws his hands forward. It accidentally touches my hand. There’s a small flash of magic transference. I can actually feel my magic being pulled from me into him. Sylas flinches back and covers his eyes, though nothing goes off with a bang like it did with the farmer’s daughter. If anything, he just starts to glow too. I let out a soft breath and touch his shoulder. 

“Sylas, it’s alright. Look.” I coax him. Sylas carefully looks through his lids before they open wide. He genuinely smiles with happiness and tackles me into a hug.

“You’re not going to get hurt! I can touch you and you won’t get hurt!” Sylas gasps and laughs in happiness. 

“Why would you think that you’d hurt someone else by touching?” 

“Oh. I, uh, went to another village. They had this air mage. He was pretty powerful. He could make all flowers pollinate. I was a good boy there. They didn’t know I was a mage. They took me in. They treated me very well. One day, the air mage asked me to help him carry flowers. He grabbed me by my hand… and… and I demolished the village.” Sylas starts to cry. He does his best to wipe his tears, but it fails. I pull him into a hug and let him cry in my arms. “I created a tornado. I passed out, so I didn’t see what really happened, but when I woke up… The village… it was gone! In a great blast of wind!”

I stay quiet and just let him grieve. I pat his back gently. Starshadow slinks out from under my scarf and gives Sylas a snakey hug. Sylas flinches a little bit at the sudden feeling, but is content to stay in my arms. He’s starting to really glow like starlight. 

_ He might give us away.  _ Starshadow murmurs fearfully in my mind. I nod but don’t move.

_ He’s upset. I don’t want to pull away quite yet. _

_ I’m more worried about you. Your eyes aren’t brown. One’s blue, the other is black.  _ Starshadow looks at me.

_ Please, Starshadow. He’s a kid. _

_ Your safety is first to me.  _ Starshadow persists. I sigh and relent, pulling away. Sylas does his best to not cry out when I do so.

“I’m sorry, Sylas, but you are starting to glow.” I gesture to his body. He looks down and yelps a little bit before trying to wipe it off. It doesn’t budge. He presses against it harder, trying to wipe it off.

“Get off… get off… why can’t I get it off?” Sylas rubs furiously. I narrow my eyes. He should be getting a red mark by now, but his skin is not even changing color. “Get off!”

“Sylas, stop!” I bark out. He stops attacking himself for a moment. I gesture for him to take a stick. Sylas, looking a little uneasily, does as I ask. I offer my palm. “Can you cut me?”

“What? Why? I don’t want to hurt you.” Sylas mumbles fearfully.

“It’s just a cut, Sylas. I just want to test a theory.” I stay quiet and sweet. The first child had lightning in her. Sylas, when he touched her, blasted the area with lightning. The air mage, a tornado. He’s glowing like I do when I get embarrassed, though I don’t recall ever having stars sparkling in mine. If that’s the case… “Please. You won’t hurt me for long. I promise.”

Sylas closes his eyes and cuts the palm of my hand. We both wince from the sudden pain. I watch in shock as Sylas bears my injury when he drops his weapon, though his cut is almost bone deep compared to my shallow scratch. It seems my theory is correct. Sylas mimics the magic of others. He amplifies it quite a bit. Not only that, but he mimics the weakness of the magic as well. I reach out and touch his hand. Our magic responds, easily healing our injuries without leaving a mark.

“What happened?” Sylas, as it turns out, kept his eyes closed. “My hand hurt for a moment, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. Did your theory work?”

“Yes, it did.” 

“What was your theory?” Sylas opens up his eyes. He looks at our palms and frowns. I can understand why, since it shouldn’t be possible for him to feel pain and not have a visible source, but that’s what happened with us.

“Your magic. I think-”

“THERE HE IS! Grab him!” Someone yells out loud. Starshadow bolts right into my scarf at the noise. It’s just in time as guards descend on us. I try to grab onto Sylas, but I’m yanked away.

“Wait, don’t hurt him!” I cry out. Sylas yelps when five fully armed guards drop on top of him. He can’t even move a muscle as they force his arms behind his back and clasp them shut. The glow he got from me vanishes the moment his wrists are chained up. “Stop it!”

“Miss, please. We’ve captured a criminal. He is under arrest for the death of two of our mageseekers and a small family.” The man holding me explains. Sylas is hauled to his feet. I run over to him and try to get the ones holding him off.

“Get off him! He didn't kill anyone! He was defending himself!” I yelp as other strong men pull me off. The leader, the one that pulled me away, frowns.

“What do you mean, he was defending himself?” He notices my words.

“Leilah, don’-” Sylas tries to protest. I notice a fist go flying into Sylas’ stomach, forcing him to his knees.

“I was there!” I yelp. The leader takes notice and pulls out a stone. It’s Petricite. I try to back away from him, but I’m stopped. I’m helpless as he hangs the stone over my head. It glows, indicating that I have magic. “I was at the farmer’s place when Vannis and Marcino-”

“You were the prisoner we found evidence of. Men!” The leader barks. My arms are roughly pulled behind me harshly. The clicking of chains around my wrists make my illusion drop. My hair returns to the night sky as my eyes return to their unique features. All my magic is being sucked into the chains. The feeling of my magic being taken is much stronger than last time. It’s enough to make my head dizzy and I fall down to my knees. My eyes struggle to focus. I feel someone grab my arm and pull me upright. They let go and I fall down again. This time I’m on my face. Everything starts to go a little blurry. The last thing I see is Sylas struggling to fight and two more guards reaching my arms.

_ Leilah! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's posting day! I love these days! So starting with a quick recap, Grena's gone mad with impatience. This incident teaches her that even if she doesn't like it, she has to be patient, making the next four years going to be rough for Ashe. Starshadow's a stubborn snake, very defensive but is willing to be calm for his bonded. She also had to leave Ashe, much sadness, though throughout the months, Leilah's inspired Ashe to be strong. Her stories of others doing the impossible when they started as ordinary people make her feel not alone, so she'll probably be more confident when she does have to step up. Leilah's reunited with a certain mage boy and once again iss willing to risk her life to keep a child safe. Starshadows going to have a field day with her.
> 
> Also, it's finally the end of the arc! This is what I meant by some arcs being really long, I just hope you guys are ok with it. There may be another arc (involving not everyone's favorite pairing of Leilah and Yone [Lillia/Yone readers... Heretics!]) or there may be historic events like the Harrowing and The Noxian invasion that need longer arcs (who am I kidding, of course they are going to need to be longer arcs). I hope you guys are ok with that.
> 
> As always, I hope you guys, you wonderfully ordinary people, make your time on this Earth extraordinary!


	49. Treatment of Mages

_ “ _ **_What an absolutely pitiful way of binding one’s magic. I can’t believe they use such a barbaric method of sealing too._ ** _ ” Daamien huffs. I blink my eyes open to see I’m able to talk with the Darkin and Aspect in my mind. Aurora is carefully monitoring my magic. My river looks like it's being drained, though Aurora is trying to keep the flow from going out too much. “ _ **_Petricite. It’s not even meant to seal!_ ** _ ” _

_ “What do you mean?” I ask. My head feels fuzzy. _

_ “ _ **_It’s an absorber, not a sealer. It’s so easy for someone who can use magic to call on petricite. Disgraceful. Back in my day, Demacia was where we would send our most scared of the void to. Now look at them. Terrified of a boy, a meer boy!_ ** _ ” Daamien keeps mumbling to himself. He never even heard me speak. It looks more like he’s talking to Aurora, though she isn’t paying too much attention to him. _

Daamien, Leilah’s here.  _ Aurora murmurs quietly. Daamien locks his red-cracked eyes on me and sighs. _

_ “ _ **_Listen, Leilah. This Petricite was recently made. There’s no lingering magic from before, so it’s absorbing all of yours at once. I’m pleased that you’ve been exercising your magic. It’s grown quite a bit. Otherwise… Well, the results would be disastrous. There’s a chance that you could have remained in a coma._ ** _ ” _

_ “The rope from before… the mage seekers have used that rope too much, haven’t they? It holds magic from other mages, which is why it didn’t hurt me.” I recall. Daamien nods. _

_ “ _ **_It was enough for you to remain conscious, but not enough for you to use your magic. That’s what’s happened to most petricite in this country. How they managed to find petricite pure enough to basically rob a mage of their magic, I have no idea. Must be a newly found vein that was buried deep under the Demacia for it to be unaffected by the mages. That’s probably what caused you to collapse from the magic drain._ ** _ ” Daamien shakes his head before tapping his hole. It spreads into the river, making the light swirl with Darkin colors, but the river rises. The heaviness in my head lightens. _

Thank you, Daamien.  _ Aurora stops tending to the river. She gets up and rests her head against his shoulder. Daamien wraps another arm around her. _

_ “ _ **_That should let the girl wake up. Now, where were we before the idiots started anything?_ ** _ ” Daamien’s voice turns… sultry? What is happening? Aurora giggles and leans into his side like she’s not thousands of years old. I see Daamien lean in and I feel a sudden urge to try to leave as soon as possible.. _

_ “What happened to the river?” I ask. The two beings immediately pull away and pretend like they weren’t just about to ...do whatever they were going to do. I guess this is what Starshadow was referring to as them being close. For some reason, I thought he was referring to them being super friendly. _

_ “ _ **_How are you still here? You should have woken- You know what, this is a good time. Listen to me carefully, Leilah._ ** _ ” Daamien leaves Aurora’s side to look directly into my eyes. “ _ **_You are currently being brought into the capital. They are going to make Sylas stand trial. You need to announce that you climbed Mount Targon._ ** _ ”  _

_ “Why?” _

It could save your life. Remember, the Crown of Stones. You need to remember that exact phrase. _ Aurora joins in. She looks at me expectantly. _

_ “The… Crown of Stones? Isn’t that…” I struggle to remember. Three years… Taric. That was his quest. To climb Mount Targon. “Didn’t I do half of the mountain?” _

Perhaps do not mention that part. Remember to state that you are a champion of Mount Targon. Remember…  _ Aurora enforces it on my mind. I nod, understanding as I close my eyes. _

“Leilah! Leilah, you have to wake up!” Sylas’ cries are slowly starting to enter my ears. 

_ Enjoy your nap?  _ Starshadow sounds bitter. Feeling comes back into my body in sharp pain. 

_ Am I… getting dragged?  _ My thoughts are so slow. A root in the ground slams into my stomach. I let out a groan, but try to get to my feet.

_ Daamien took magic that I needed! Especially if they decided that you were better off being killed. At least I have- _

_ I need to be awake for the guards if they question us, and I’d rather you stay a secret in Demacia. _ The horses come to a slow stop. I finally get a break to get my feet under me, though it’s incredibly hard. None of the cuts and bruises on my body have healed at all. I’m in so much pain, though it’s almost faded. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m used to pain in my unconscious state or if I’m too tired to really feel. Neither of them are good options.

“You, mage girl. Finally awake, are you?” The leader comes forward. Two hands reach for my arms and haul me off the ground. One twists my left arm into dislocating. I don’t even have the strength to scream, though Sylas is making quite the ruckus. The leader’s hand slides under my chin and forces me to look up. Sylas is crying out, telling them to leave me alone. I manage to look over at him and almost growl. His hands are bound behind his back, but he’s being pulled by his neck. A metal collar, probably petricite, is connected to a rope to the back of a horse.  _ Is this how Demacia treats their mages? Like animals???  _ The man before me ignores Sylas like one would a loud pet. I glare at the man as much as I can, but I am unable to do much. A glare isn’t going to make them let Sylas go, but it sure does make me feel a little better. “What’s your name? We need it for the registry of mages.”

“Crown… of… Stones.” I choke out. The hand under my chin stiffens. He slaps me across my face. My head drops before it’s forced to look up again. The leader’s eyes are intense. Sylas is trying to protest, though it doesn’t sound like he’s being treated much better than I am.

“What did you say?” He whispers. I whimper as my shoulder is pressed against. 

“Crown… of… Stones…” I mumble. The leader pulls away. My head drops into my chest.  _ Aurora I hope you know what you are doing.  _ Before I know it, his hand is gripping my face and forcing it up. It hurts my arm badly, yet all that comes out of me is a soft whimper. It’s really not that I don’t want to scream out in agony, I’m just so tired. 

“You aren’t a soldier. That honor’s only for those that dishonored themselves.” The leader snarls in my face. He lets go and I fall onto the ground. 

Everything hurts. I just want to sleep and wake up somewhere else. I’m so tired and it hurts. I want to escape. I want to be free of this nightmare. My eyes start to close a little bit. Maybe a little nap wouldn’t hurt… No, I can’t. They’ll drag me again.  _ What did Daamien say? Something about Petricite being a magic absorber… maybe... _

“Leilah! Stop it! She can’t stand up!” Sylas screams. He thrashes even more, trying his best to get to me. He starts letting out cries of pain. That wakes me up a little bit, but I don’t open my eyes. In fact, I keep them closed. One of the guards pokes my dislocated shoulder, but I can’t move or make any sort of noise. I’m too invested in figuring out where my magic is going. I’m barely aware that someone picks me up and puts me on my stomach on a warm creature, nor do I care much about my wrists being tied down. All my concentration is figuring out where my magic is going.

Turns out, Daamien was right. I can sense my own magic in these cuffs. It’s practically shimmering at the brim from how much magic was taken in one go. It also doesn’t feel impossible to grab. It just makes me unwilling to do so, like going to a forbidden area. I need my magic though. I do my best to access it. It feels so hard to grab it, like I want to touch my magic but it feels wrong to reach for it. I have to try though. At the rate these people are treating us, I might not make it to wherever we’re going. Sylas might not make it.

T that thought, I struggle against whatever is trying to stop me. It’s thick, syrupy. The harder I fight, the more tired I am. It’s like when I was on the top of Targon. Being charmed into choosing someone else while Starshadow struggled to survive.  _ Starshadow…  _ I have to think about Starshadow. I have to survive for him. And Sylas, and Ashe, Qiyana, Yasuo, Shen, Govos, Kusho. The world. Yone… I can’t be stopped by a measly chain. I have to fight. With one last effort, I reach for the magic. It works. I’m almost touching my magic before I remember where I am. In Demacia, a prisoner once again, and being watched by guards...

I carefully open my eyes to see that they’ve placed me on the back of one of their horses. I’m thrown over like a jacket on a hoe. Sylas walks behind the horse. His face is covered in injuries, with bruises and a black eye. He’s limping a little bit. He holds his stomach tenderly, but still does his best to keep walking. I can see little skid marks on his pants. His eyes notice mine open and his posture relaxes. Though he winces when he relaxes.  _ What happened while I was out? _

_ While I’m happy that Sylas did his best to distract them from you, I’m going to have a word with the mageseekers. This is abominable! Who treats someone like that? _ Starshadow reports. I can barely feel his scales dig into me, though I know he’s incensed.

_ What happened to you?  _ My head’s still a little woozy.  _ Why aren’t you hurting me with your scales? _

_ Daamien took that magic from me and gave it to you, remember? I’m still really mad about it, by the way. How the hell am I supposed to bring you back from the dead again is I don’t have enough magic to do so?  _ Starshadow’s tail taps against my skull over and over again. He’s not happy.

_ Sorry, Starsha- _

_ Don’t say sorry, Leilah. I think it’d be safer for you to be awake than I have the magic to pull you back anyway.  _ Starshadow’s head rubs into my neck.

_ Well, I’m about to grab more.  _ I state in my head. I almost feel Starshadow’s nonexistant eyebrow raise as I go back into the Petricite. I press into the part holding my magic. It floods over me like a tidal wave. If it wasn’t my magic, I feel like I would have drowned. As it is, I feel like it’s the first downpour of the rainy season coming to water me, give me life. I can’t take all the magic back, just enough to ensure that I heal the worst of my injuries, though I leave the dislocated shoulder, just in case they find me. I feel Starshadow reach in right as I start to pull out. His scales start to emit a little bit of warmth and sharpness against my neck. My shoulder pops back into place painlessly and all my scratches under my clothes mend.

_ Oh, yeah. This is better. I can be beautiful again.  _ Starshadow crows a little bit. His tail once again taps my neck, but it’s a happy tap. I want to laugh at his exuberance, but it’s really not a good time.

_ Why did you heal my shoulder? We’re still in the midst of them. _

_ Relax, Leilah. You still look like it’s dislocated. I’m not going to let you remain in pain if I can avoid it.  _ Starshadow calms me.

_ How did you heal me? Aren’t I the healer? _

_ A dislocated arm is easy. Just pop into place. Your magic took care of the pain part. _

The sun starts to set. The leader holds up a fist, stopping everyone else from moving. Sylas stumbles a little bit, but manages to stay on his feet. Someone grabs me from around my waist and yanks me off. I can see Sylas twitch a little bit and try to move towards me. His chains jangle a little bit in his effort. The other men hop off their horses and start to look around for firewood. It looks like we’re making camp here for the night. The leader takes the rope connected to Sylas and yanks him away. Sylas grunts, but follows his lead. The one holding me follows. I guess they think I’ve grown used to the pain in my shoulder as they don’t make a comment on my easy movement… or they don’t care. Either way, my ability to access petricite is a secret.

They drag us over to a tree and start tying him up. I stand, waiting my turn. Once Sylas is tied to the tree, the leader takes my rope and brings Starshadow and I to another tree. The guard sets me on the ground as I’m also tied up.  _ Is everyone taught to do that? Tie up a prisoner while making their magic cut off? They still have hands. Knots are not that hard to work off.  _ The men start to walk off, though one guard, a rather young one, watches us. The others start to talk among themselves. This one, he comes over to me.

“...How could you have climbed Mount Targon?” he asks me. I push myself up against a tree and close my eyes. “Miss?”

“With my feet.” I state coldly. 

_ That’s rude.  _ Starshadow speaks up.

_ Well, it’s not like I have a reason to be nice to them. _

_ That’s never stopped you before. _

_ It does now. _

“...I’m sorry, but mages are dangerous. We have to make sure that mages can’t hurt us.” The young man apologizes.

“I’d love to hear about how dangerous I am.” I snap a little bitterly.

“Magic is wild. It’s not like a sword, which can be given and taught to anyone. It corrupts people and makes them hurt others. We have to stop the disease.” The man claims.

“A disease? You would call magic a disease?” I murmur quietly.

“I mean, it afflicts our people. Our country is meant to protect people from magic.” The man settles down. 

“What’s your name?” I ask out of the blue.

“It’s Tedrick.” The man… Tedrick introduces himself.

“Tell me, Tedrick. How is Magic a disease? If It’s a disease, wouldn’t it infect your ordinary citizens without magic?” I crack an eye open. Tedrick blinks and thinks about it.

“W-w-well, there’s magic that can hurt people.”

“That’s not a disease, Tedrick. That’s a tool being abused. How does an ordinary person suddenly get infected with a gift? Does an ordinary person suddenly start waving their hand and start turning everyone to frogs or something?” I repeat my question. Tedrick looks very confused now.

“But, Demacia was founded to be able to keep normal people safe from magic.” Tedrick tries another approach.

“You can found a city in the middle of a war, but what happens when that war is over? Do you still prosecute mages that have done nothing but try to help?”

“What do you mean, nothing but try to help?” Tedrick starts to tap his finger against his knee. He’s not happy with this line of questioning. “Mages are the reason why Demacia was created. They are dangerous.”

“I went to Ionia. Did you know that their land is called the first magic? There are people that can travel through shadows or through a different realm. They use their abilities to protect others.” I give an example. Tedrick shifts a little bit, changing from tense to relaxed. He looks interested in what I have to say. He probably feels comfortable enough to ask me these things because of the fact that I’m tied up and supposedly can’t do magic… 

“Are they dangerous?”

“As dangerous as a soldier can be.” I wave them off. He stiffens at the implication.

“A soldier isn’t dangerous. We protect the country, the people.” Tedrick protests.

“Aren’t mages people too?”

“Yeah, but they are diseased.” Tedrick protests. I sigh, feeling like we’re going to be talking in circles all night, so I make myself comfortable against my tree. Tedrick senses that I’m mad and sighs.

“You just need to be cured.”

“That would kill me!” I yelp out. I slap my cuffed hands over my mouth immediately, but it’s already done it’s damage. Tedrick perks up in confusion.

“What? If you lose the disease, you would die?” 

“...You don’t understand magic. None of you understand magic.” I try to shut down this upcoming discussion. With their lack of knowledge of Petricite, I doubt they actually do have a good understanding of magic.

“Can you teach us then?” Tedrick asks.

“Why should I? You would sooner use that information to torture magic users or find ways to kill us than help.” I snap.

“Because you need help. Why won’t you let us help you?” Tedrick genuinely sounds like magic users are truly in need of help. I shake my head in disbelief.

“What about us needs to be saved?” There’s such a heaviness in my voice. “Did we ask for the magic? No, but we use it to the best of our ability, wanting to help sooner than we would hurt. How you can just assume that all mages would rather hurt than harm is... “ I can’t speak anymore out of sheer disappointment. Tedrick flinches and goes to open his mouth, but the leader calls him over. I close my eyes and try to get some sleep.

_ Wha- How? This country is so backwards. Can we teleport the king into Ionia and ask him to talk with Vastaya? Better yet, can your capturers have a word with Yasuo and Yone? Or even the Kinkou Order?  _ Starshadow peeks his head out from his hiding place. I snort quietly.

_ Who do you think would be angrier? Yone or Govos?  _ I raise my hands up to my neck.

_ Oh, definitely Yone. No doubts about it. Not possible for Govos to compete.  _ Starshadow creeps onto my hands.

_ Why’s that?  _ My hands carry my bonded to the ground. He slithers off into the darkness. The group of men are laughing and joking with each other, ignoring their captives. 

_ Are you serious? Govos, he thinks of you like a sibling. Yone, he might be duty bound, but considering how much he cares for you, he’d be hard pressed to not murder them all right now. Beef or bread?  _ Starshadow asks.

_ How about the keys?  _

_...That’s not a bad idea. Though, why didn’t they respect the Crown of Stones? That’s… I found the keys.  _ Starshadow’s voice sounds a little muffled, like he’s got something in his mouth. A few seconds pass. I feel a tap against my leg as Starshadow returns with the keys. Somehow, the keys aren’t jangling, though I’m not too concerned with that. At least he got it here silently. I wiggle a little bit so he can slip the keys into my hand. He makes his way into the little hole I made. I can feel when he gets to my hands. I can also feel how slimy the keys are when he gives them to me.

_ STARSHADOW!  _ I yelp in my head. 

_How else did you think I was going to get it here quickly and quietly?_ Starshadow sounds incredibly innocent, even if I know he just threw up the keys… And he’s smirking. _I don’t have pockets._ _Be grateful._

_ There are definitely better ways to get the keys to me without spitting up everything! _

_ Hush. I’m going to set you free, ok?  _ Starshadow gets quiet.  _ Now.. Where’s the hole… there it… wait, which… this one? No… that one… no… Got it!  _ I feel my cuffs slip off at the same time my magic is usable again. It feels great to not have this weight on me.  _ Got an idea of where we’re going? _

_ Straight to the source. Can you take us to the Palace in Demacia? _

_ Oh, boy, that’s a rough teleport… I think… there’s petricite… Leilah, can you adapt our magic to mimic the feel of it?  _ Starshadow asks. I blink and groan, but do as Starshadow suggests. Even holding it feels draining, though at least I’m not going to pass out. I feel for the Petricite’s… I’d say it’s a signature. It’s greedy, starved, needy. It demands, it takes, it wants. But it also feels… prepared. It’s ready for things to go wrong and help out. It almost feels like how Starshadow acts, only he can’t absorb magic. I can feel my magic adapt to the signature. The longer I concentrate on mimicking the power, the easier my magic feels. Eventually, the cuff that was once holding me back just feels like a rock to me. Looking at Starshadow, he’s starting to reflect the looks of Petricite. He checks himself over before nodding approvingly.  _ That’s Petricite. Ready? _

_ One second.  _ I wave my hand and make us look like we’re still being held. Sylas is sleeping against his tree. His arms are wrapped tightly around his stomach, but he’s still shivering. I don’t fault him. It’s not that warm at night. Especially with his injuries. Damn the guards. They aren’t even treating him. 

_ No, Leilah. He has to have them in the morning! And we don’t know what will happen is you partially heal them.  _ Starshadow murmurs. I ignore him and brush a hand against his brow. Immediately he’s breathing easier. It takes a little more magic than usual because of the magic I’m currently negating, but I make sure all his internal organs are doing alright before letting go. I am struggling to not collide into anything as I feel bruises and a black eye appears on my body. 

_ We know now.  _ I mumble as I try not to rub my right eye of it’s injury. I try to heal it, but it doesn’t want to. I guess I’m stuck with it for a little while. That’s ok by me.  _ I’m all set. How far out are we from the palace? _

_ Daamien says it’s at least a week by foot, he’s not sure about dragged humans behind horse.  _ Starshadow snarks. I shake my head at him in amusement.

_ And how fast if we mimic the feeling of Petricite? _

_ Oh, seconds. Shall we?  _ Starshadow’s body wiggles in excitement.

_ Go for it.  _ I give him the go ahead. Not even a moment later the shadows creep up to my head. The last thing I see is Sylas’ snuggle into the tree and the guards snicker at something. None of them notice my escape.

When we exit the teleport, a very surprised man in pajamas stares at me. I quickly throw out a hand to silence any cries for help. I quickly take a look around the room I’m in. There’s a large canopy bed behind me with a chest at the base of it. I blush when I realize I’ve invaded the man’s bedroom. He shouts, but nothing escapes his mouth. It seems he’s realized he can’t say anything as he starts to run for the door.

“Wait! Please.” I cry. My voice weakens considerably at the end. The man notices as he’s at the door, but he doesn’t open it. He turns around and looks at me, actually looking at me. He walks closer to me. I wrap my arms around myself and try to stand tall. He tries to ask something, though it’s not successful. He makes a disgruntled face and gestures to his throat. “Oh, sorry.”

“How did you get past the petricite in the palace?” He demands. I flinch from the sternness in his voice.

“I mimicked the petricite’s feel. Petricite doesn’t attack itself if it holds magic, and your magic thinks I’m part of it, so it doesn’t notice me. That’s not what I’m here to talk about though, sir.” I state as quickly as I can. The man raises an eyebrow and takes a seat on his bed.

“Pray tell what could possibly be so important to invade the king’s private chambers at night.” He snorts. I flinch again at the reminder that I’m in someone else’s bedroom, not to mention that this is THE KING’S room.

“It’s about your mages, your highness.” I curtsy to him. He raises an eyebrow at me. “How can you treat your citizens like they are criminals or diseased if they are gifted with magic?”

“Demacia is the stronghold against the war with mages.” The king states clearly. I frown.

“I’ve been around the world. From Ionia to the Freljord and Ixtal. I’ve even been in Demacia before. There’s no war in the world right now.” I state.

“Why should I trust the word of a mage that’s invaded my room. Especially one that looks as ragged as you do, like a common citizen.” The king snarks. 

_ Wow. Not a night person then.  _ Starshadow remarks in my mind. I agree with him in this regard.

“I… You would actually dismiss the word of someone that actually knows what’s going on in the world because it doesn’t fit with your beliefs?” I ask, now understanding how the guard came to have their beliefs. “Wow.”

“You would judge me?” The king stands up. He stalks towards me. All this aggressiveness is wearing on my last strand of patience. For the second time, I snap.

“Yes, I would. I would judge you not by your beliefs though. I judge you by how your people are treated.” I wave my hand over my face. “This is the treatment of one of your people, born and raised here. He served Demacia to the best of his ability, but if that ability is against the law, he’s treated like this. I treated him for his broken ribs and internal bleeding! I completed the Crown of Stones and I was treated like dirt. Like an animal! How would you feel if you went to Targon and we don’t like kings? That when you tell us your accomplishments, we don’t even consider that it’s true and we beat you up for it? That’s not how the world works!”

“You… climbed Mount Targon?” The king flinches back a little bit. At least the king is considering the possibility as opposed to the guards.

“I am the Aspect of the Borealis.” I declare. He snorts.

“Prove it.” 

“What, do you want a medal for getting the girl to prove that she’s telling the truth? How does one even do that?” Starshadow slips off my shoulders. The King scrambles back as Starshadow creates an illusion of himself, turning back to that golden starry color he was before. “I mean, the fact that a celestial is bonded to her can’t possibly mean anything.”

“Prove you are a celestial.” The king demands, though he sounds a little shaken. Starshadow snorts.

“Your precious founder, Kayle? I was there when her mother climbed the mountain. Your great protector was born under the stars in Targon. Her and her twin.” Starshadow reveals. The king’s face immediately pales and he backs away.

_ She had a twin? _

_ Morgana. They were both very righteous, though they were righteous in their own ways. Morgana was much more forgiving than Kayle… Ah, you’ve infected me with your distractibility.  _

“You… You really are a celestial. The twin is a secret passed down the royal line.” The king stutters. He looks from Starshadow to me before he bows his head slightly. “Apologies, Lady Leilah. I did not mean to disrespect you.”

I feel like I’m getting whiplash from the king’s drastic change. One minute he’s ready to distrust me, but thanks to Starshadow, he’s willing to believe me… Unbelievable.  _ How do you always manage to get allies for me? _

_ Oh… That’s easy. I’m a celestial. _

_ Prideful snake. _

“Guards!” The king calls out. I instinctively prepare to fight this time. Starshadow does the same, his head rises to around my waist with his body coiled around my legs. My hands twitch as the people he called out for come into the chamber. They notice us and point their weapons at us. “Stop!”

“Your highness, this assassin will be taken care of.” The guards start to advance. Starshadow and I back away.

“No, this is not an assassin. This is one who has climbed Mount Targon and succeeded.” The king states. The guards look at each other before looking at me and my still starry golden snake.

“‘Sup?” Starshadow bobs his head. I’m mildly bewildered at that greeting. Apparently I’m not the only one as the guards just stand still.

“Take her to a private chamber. I will be talking with her in the morning.” The king dismisses us. His head bobs for a moment as he considers our very clearly magical presence. “And please treat her kindly. She deserves that honor at the very least.”

“...Right this way, miss.” The guards put down their weapons. Starshadow gets small and returns to his favorite place on my neck as I follow them out of the chamber. They take me down many winding hallways to a nice door. They open it to reveal a simple but pleasant room. They gesture me in. When I do so, the door slams behind me. I jump from the sudden sound, though no one has followed me, so I feel a little better. I definitely feel better when I lie down on the bed. All my exhaustion catches up with me at that moment. I’m asleep before my head touches the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had an event planned on Thursday and I'd rather keep my three-four day differences, so surprise! Early post today! So, quick recap: Demacian mageseekers suck. Badly. Just as much as their monarch. Kingdoms tend to have similar beliefs to who leads them. Just take a look at the US. Trump for 4 years has certainly caused divide in the country, or when Hitler was in charge. And those are just short term leaders. Imagine the beliefs of at least a century in the capitol with the king? That's my reasoning anyway. 
> 
> I wonder how many of you know Tedrick. That is not a name I pulled out of a hat. If you get the origin of the name right, Kudos to you! You can probably imagine how that goes down. 
> 
> Anyway, she's now in the presence of Petricite and going to talk to the king. Wonder if she's going to manage to change the beliefs of a kingdom in time (I like being in canon, so you can predict how everything is going to happen).
> 
> As always, May thee create the most Extraordinary day in thy life this day. XD


	50. Talking with Demacian Higher-ups

A sharp rap against the door is what wakes me up. I rub my eyes as I sit up in a beautifully lit bedroom. Starshadow, in his rocky appearance, doesn’t even move. He just groans and goes back to sleep. I wish I was as lucky as him to be able to sleep like him right now. The palace is more tiring to be in than I thought. It makes sense, especially since it is made of Petricite. I still have magic, so I quickly put on my disguise of brown hair and blue-black eyes to not alarm whoever’s at the door. I slowly get out of the bed and open the door. A guard stands there with a firm face.

“The king requests your presence as soon as possible.” The guard demands. He’s a tall, brown-and-white haired individual with a bulky body. There’s a large sword at his side. He wears gold armor highlighted by dark blue cloth. His blue eyes are kind when he notices my sleepy face. It’s almost like I’m looking at my Father’s face. I blink sluggishly before I nod my head.

“Can… you give me… five minutes to be presentable?” I slur a little bit. He looks a little uneasy, but nods. I close the door gently and crawl back to Starshadow. I poke his body. “Wakey… wakey.”

_ I hope the king is planning to meet you outside his fortress.  _ Starshadow yawns. He stretches out, his scales clinking together as the stones on his body stretch.  _ There’s no way to talk to you while you are low on magic. _

“We got… five… minutes.” I fall back onto the bed. It’s so comfy right now. I could just go back to sleep right now. It’s so… comfy.

_ WAKE UP!  _ Starshadow’s loud bark makes me jolt awake.

“Ah! I’m awake! I promise, I’m awake!” I yelp. My head’s still a little fuzzy, but I’m more awake than when the guard opened the door. Starshadow slithers up to his spot on my neck and starts nudging his nose against my hair. My hair smooths out, taking care of the tangles. He continues to groom me, nuzzling against my rumpled dress to look a little more elegant and my boots to become pretty little flats. When he’s finished with most of it, he snuggles into my scarf. “How are you not being affected by the Petricite?”

_ Oh, I am, why do you think I take this look? It isn’t for the glamor.  _ Starshadow opens his little mouth into a yawn and settles onto my neck.  _ Though, I would advise you to mimic the feeling of Petricite again. Seems like you went back to your normal aura. Now, go talk with the king. If you feel a little fuzzy, ask to go outside. There’s no excuse for you to be unable to have a conversation if you are barely awake. I’m going to go collect all that magic Daamien dumped into you. I liked having a hood and fangs. _

Starshadow’s vanity amuses me quite a bit. I open the door again. The guard looks like he was about to rap it again, though thankfully he doesn’t. I’m short enough to place my head right where he would have knocked. He yanks his hand back in time, though I still flinch. When I look back, there’s a sort of softness in his gaze. 

“I… uh… It was five minutes miss.” He explains quickly. A small smile appears on my face. I try my best to take a step, though my legs are shaky. I start to fall forward, though the guard is quick to help me. He catches me, but I flinch a little bit. I guess he felt it as he makes sure that once I’m steady, he quickly rips his hands away. “Are you alright?”

“I’m ok… Just… I came in last night under an emergency and must have been more tired than I thought.” I explain. I take the moment to adapt my magic again. It takes a little more time than I would like, considering I’m surrounded, but at least I manage it. My brow is covered in sweat.

“Perhaps you should rest more.” The man seems rather concerned.

“No, no. I’ll go see the king.” I manage to get myself upright on my own. If Starshadow was awake right now, he’d probably be making sarcastic comments. It makes me a little bit happier knowing that he’s sleeping and not going to mock me. My first few steps are unstable, but I slowly get used to the feeling of my magic not being free to be itself. It’s actually a little disorienting, like when I had to mimic the feel of True Ice. I feel a little bit protective, like I have to store things for when things are bad. It takes all my willpower to not grab a suit of armor and put it on myself. It’s… a little weird. True Ice made me a little bit frigid and cold to others, blunt and sharp to a fault. Petricite makes me want to hoard things. Good to know that mimicking magics makes me change my entire behaviour. Though, sometimes that change in feeling is good. I doubt I would have let myself be open about how I was feeling if I didn’t have that… quirk.

“Miss, please do not try to take the dagger in the case.” The guard leading me sounds amused. I blink and realize my hands are reaching for a rather ornate dagger. It’s hilt is covered in jewels and gold. I hastily wrap my hands in my skirts and blush, though I can’t stop looking at the dagger.

“But what about if someone was to attack us? I need a weapon to defend myself or give to others.” My mouth blurts out. I slap my hands over my mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say that-”

“We have hidden weapon caches all over the palace, not to mention that we still carry our weapons when we are on duty.” The man pats the sword at his side. My eyes become glued to his weapon. I have to cover my eyes with my hands to get myself to focus.

“I’m really sorry, I’m not usually like this.” I mumble. Just thinking about those weapon caches are making me antsy.  _ What if someone is going to attack? I need to have enough weapons to defend them. I need it. _

“Oh? What are you usually like?” The man asks conversationally, oblivious to my magic influenced mind. I shake my head in the effort to get my thoughts back on the right track.

“Well, I don’t usually like weapons, so trying to grab them is a little odd for me.” I blink myself back into focus. The guard raises an eyebrow.

“Why are you trying to grab a dagger if you don’t like weapons?” The man is incredibly confused. I stay quiet for a moment. If I say that it’s because of magic, I might get chained up again, not like it would actually stop my magic this time. Or I can be quiet about it and lie. Though is it worse to lie about myself? 

“Pieter, have you brought the girl?” The king’s voice is muffled through a door. I refocus myself on our surroundings. I didn’t even realize that we’ve reached a large ornate door, I was too focused on trying to make my thoughts go the way I want them too. Two more guards stand at the entrance, though they pull the doors open to admit us. Pieter walks in confidently. I walk in a little bit slower. There’s decorations of weapons on the sides of the chamber. I feel the urge to bring it all in one place near everyone. That train of thought has me walking slower than Pieter, who strides forward and bows to the king.

“Sir, you asked me to bring the girl from last night in?” Pieter gestures to thin air. The king raises an eyebrow and snorts. Pieter’s head jerks up and back to see I’m slowly making my way to where he kneels. The weapons are practically calling to me. I place my hands over my ears and do my best to bring my mind back to where I want it to be. A hand taps my shoulder, making me jump. Pieter’s eyebrows are concerned. “Are you alright?”

“Leilah?” The king stands up. My eyes keep flicking to the weapons around the room. I slap my hands over the weapons and take a deep breath.

“I’m sorry to ask this, your majesty… but can we… go somewhere that… doesn’t have Petricite?” I struggle to say. I hear a sharp intake of breath and Pieter backs away. There’s a distinct sound of a weapon being drawn, though I don’t try to look at it. Petricit emagic is overwhelming here.

“Why would we remove you from this place? It’s the center of all the Petricite in the palace. You won’t be able to use magic here.” Pieter snaps. I flick a hand and cause Pieter to starts doing squats. I can hear him squawk from the indignity.

“Sir, I have a magic that can mimic the feel of others, leaving me practically untouched, though I start to take on behavioural traits, like Petricite’s need to take everything dangerous and store it somewhere for easy access. I’ve been trying to gather all the weapons the entire time we’ve walked down.” I explain hastily. I cancel the magic on Pieter. He doesn’t even sound out of breath, but he’s definitely wary of me now. That’s disappointing.

“Pieter, follow us.” The king states. I feel someone grab my arm. A quick glance shows that it’s the king who’s taken my arm. I trust him and keep my eyes closed to minimize the effect of Petridite magic on me, though it seems the longer we walk, the easier it is for me to think. We take so many twists and turns, but each step is easier than the next. After a few minutes of walking, a creaking of doors and a sudden brightness on my lids tells me we’re heading outside. The pressure on my core lessons considerably, enough for me to feel comfortable opening my eyes.

The King’s lead us to a beautiful field. It’s covered in flowers, with winding paths and fountains dotting the place. A few butterflies flutter around, going from one bright flower to the next. I notice there’s a few dormisroots planted here, mostly because they start to glow a little bit in my presence. I glance behind us to see Pieter right behind us, though he holds his sword handle in the most not relaxed manner I can see. The king pulls me forward on a path towards the biggest fountain. This one is highly decorated, with soldiers surrounding the middle of the fountain. The soldiers point their weapons at various flying dragons. The dragons spit water into the fountain. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen be created.  _ Demacia certainly is detailed. _

_ Agreed.  _ Starshadow chimes in. I struggle to not jump visibly. The king gestures for me to sit at the edge of the fountain. I do my best to sit gracefully on the edge of it. 

_ When did you wake up?  _

_ Oh, when we got to the fountain. Aurora and Daamien thought you’d need me.  _ Starshadow slithers out from my scarf. He slithers down to my lap and coils himself there. His scales aren’t looking so stone-like anymore. It still has a few spots of scales where it does look like stone, but for the most part he’s back to his normal black self… wait...

_ Why aren’t you looking all golden starry right now?  _ I feel a little bit of panic build in my chest. 

“Hello, your majesty.” Starshadow bows his head to the king. The king, who was looking at Starshadow with one hand on the hilt of his sword, lets go.

“You are the celestial from last night. Apologies, I did not recognize you to be him.” The king bows his head. Pieter, who’s been watching nearby, jumps when he hears that Starshadow is a celestial. The guard looks deep in thought now.

“Well, I much prefer to be black. It’s easier on us and helps me remain hidden in times of distress. You have no idea how much it helped that no one knew about me.” Starshadow remarks. He starts to sound bitter and points to the people we’re around. “Though, it’s only been two instances… Though both times if I was found, Leilah dying would have been a very real possibility… What a coincidence, both times I remained a secret happened to be-”

“Wait, she climbed Mount Targon?” Pieter demands. I flinch from the sudden intrusion. Starshadow, the best and worst celestial in the world, snaps his head and flairs a tiny little hood.

“Yes, she did. Now if you could kindly not make loud, sudden noises, we’d both appreciate it.” Starshadow snaps. With a trembling hand, I gently touch his head.

_ Calm down, Starshadow. They didn’t know. _

_ Didn’t know? DIDN’T KNOW??? The king had better not know. That’s the only way I’m going to be ok with this damned leadership.  _ Starshadow’s tail swishes a bit.

“Are you alright, Miss?” Pieter holds up his hands in an attempt to show he means me no harm. I try to nod normally, but I can feel my head hiccup a little bit.

“Ha! If you think being dragged behind a horse while unconscious is good, then I’m sure she’s alright. Then having a dislocated arm and being slapped around for stating that she climbed Mount Targon and being called a liar instead of asking questions makes her totally alright! That’s not even talking about the first time we’ve visited your ‘great country’!” Starshadow starts to rant.

“Starshadow, please don’t.” I press my hand firmly against his head. Starshadow shakes it off.

“Your men have the audacity to burn innocents! They dragged her behind another horse, and then attempted to make Leilah do magic on a dying man far later than what she could do to save him, and then... AND THEN!...Vannis went nuts on her, attacking her for something out of her control. He tortured a farmer that came to help us and attempted to kill Sylas and-”

“Hold on, celestial, how do you know those names?” Pieter interrupts Starshadow. Starshadow’s tail starts to thump against my leg harder. I wince when it starts to sting, though he stops the moment we both feel pain. His scales are rising though, digging into my scarf.

“It’s Starshadow. My name is Starshadow. And Leilah and I were there. She buried the bodies. The girl and the father were buried together. Vannis and Marcino were buried in separate graves, Marcino will be buried with flowers, probably dead by now. Vannis with his weapon.” Starshadow lists out.

“Can you tell me where they are buried?” Pieter asks. He gestures to someone just coming into the area. A young boy races over. Pieter leans over and speaks to the boy quietly. I can’t hear what they say, but the boy is much more attentive now.

“I… I buried the family under the front door of their barn. Vannis was buried much farther away, I think on the path to the home. He didn’t like mages, but he still needed a home, so I buried him the farthest away from the girl while on the property. Marcino is right next to him.” I answer. Pieter nods to the boy. The boy runs off. I wonder why he’s running off.

_ Isn’t it obvious? They’re checking our story.  _ Starshadow huffs. He reaches up and nuzzles into my cheek comfortingly.  _ How are you holding up? _

_ Honestly? I’m terrified. I’m in the middle of Demacia, surrounded by Petricite, and in front of the most powerful people in the city. There is so much that can go wrong.  _ I mentally communicate.

_ You are being very strong, Leilah. If you’d like, I can handle everything here. _

_ Ok. _

“Father?” A new voice calls out. Pieter and the king turn with friendly faces to a young boy, he can’t be older than fifteen. He’s dressed in golden finery and he has a small sword on his belt.

“Jarvan, son, what are you doing back here?” The king greets his son warmly. Jarvan smiles and embraces his father briefly before noticing us. I raise a hand shyly and wave at him. Starshadow raises his tail and pulls my hand down. His body grows a little more in size as he takes in the new boy. He’s a little heavier than I remember, though I’d assume that’s because of the stone spots on his body.

“There was word that the most dangerous criminal has finally been caught. They also caught another mage, though she escaped in the middle of the night.” The prince mentions.

“How do you know all this? I haven’t gotten the report yet.” Pieter speaks up.

“Oh, the report just came in this morning. I told the messenger I’d bring it to you and they gave it to me. Here.” The prince hands a pile of papers to Pieter. Pieter takes them and quickly reads over it. “They mentioned a girl with brown hair and a blue eye and black one… Isn’t that the girl?” The prince notices my presence. He starts to draw his sword when the king stops him. “They also mentioned she had a second, starry appearance.”

“She’s a champion of Mount Targon, son. She deserves respect, not hostility.” The king nods his head towards me. I feel a little safer now that the king is vouching for me. With that, I drop the magic disguising myself. I feel a little better now that there isn’t an extra magic drain. I can tell Starshadow feels better too when he starts to crow over his newly regrown fangs. The drama queen.

“Wow. Your eyes, they are very unique. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like them.” Pieter observes. I glow a little bit and play with my hair a little bit.

“A gift from those that blessed me.”

“Both of your eyes?” The king asks. “The same being gave you such different ones?”

“Oh, no. One is an Aspect. That’s my blue and green eye. The red and black one, the one that Starshadow represents more, is another being. He gifted me the ability to heal and teleport.” I explain. Jarvan tilts his head. It’s very nice to see a Demacian show curiosity towards me instead of hostility. I wonder how long that will last.

“You can heal?”

“Oh, Leilah is a very talented healer. Granted the first few tries were a little… difficult, considering everything, but in the end, she can easily heal a dying man to walking again.” Starshadow boasts.

“I’m still learning, Starshadow.” I try to dismiss his claims modestly. Prince Jarvan is absolutely intrigued.

“Wow! Any injury that bad, she can heal?” The prince is taking a seat next to me. I flinch a little bit away from him, but he’s just excited. A glance at the king and Pieter indicates that I’m not going to come to any harm. They close ranks a little bit, enough to give us space but close enough to interfere if anything was to happen.

“It takes a lot out of me. Magic, it’s such an integral part of me. I wasn’t born with magic, but I am now very much full of it. Petricite hurts me-”

“How can Petricite hurt you? It just stops you from using magic.” The Prince interrupts.

“Maybe, but for me, with all the magic I’ve been gifted, it feels like someone is squeezing my stomach tightly, forcing it to take a shape I really don’t want to.” I try to explain.

“How are you able to be in the palace then?”

“The magic that was gifted to me by the Aspects was of illusions. With the second magic source, I can mimic magical signatures, like Petricite or Freljordian magic, so it doesn’t affect me physically, though mentally is a different story.” My hand plays with my hair in embarrassment.

“Mentally?” The king asks. He has a wariness in his voice, though Pieter looks at me understandingly.

“She was trying to grab weapons to protect us as we were heading to the throne room. She said she needed to hold onto them to protect us if something bad should happen. I’m guessing that’s the power of Petricite?” Pieter observes. The king relaxes as I nod. Jarvan snickers.

“So, do you want to take my sword? It must be killing you right now to not have weapons nearby.” Jarvan teases. Now that he mentions it, it’s too far for me to hand it to anyone. My hands twitch for his sword, though Starshadow’s tail holds me still. His head tilts a little bit in the distance, though I have to take a moment to refocus my thoughts. I shoot Jarvan a bit of a dirty glare for mentioning it.

“Now, Prince Jarvan, that’s not very nice.”

“Actually, it’s really fascinating. I’ve never heard of magic causing anyone to react like you do. What else does your magic do?”

_ Is that?.. _

“Well, my magic is for healing, illusions, and shields. The shields allow me to walk on otherwise thin air. Starshadow also uses my magic to protect me, though he prefers-”

“GET DOWN!” Starshadow grabs all the magic from my core, dropping me to the ground. Jarvan catches me as Starshadow grabs the arrow out of thin air with his mouth. He’s grown in size again, his girth is abround the size of my head. It takes me a moment, but I finally realize that the arrow was headed straight for the prince. That alarms Pieter and the king into moving closer to us. Starshadow opens up his hood as far as it can as he coils around us.  _ Dammit, I knew I should have grabbed weapons. _

“Assassins.” Pieter snaps. Three cloaked figures drop from places I would have never imagined possible. They hold various weapons, a dagger, a spear, and a bow. Pieter and the king pull out their swords. Jarvan gently sets me on the bench before standing by his father’s side, though the king holds his son behind him. Starshadow takes the front, his head swaying back and forth. Pieter points his sword at the intruders. “You will leave now, or face the wrath of Demacia.”

“Stuff it, Crownguard.” The one with the bow snaps. He yanks the string back and shoots out another arrow, this time it’s dark purple. Starshadow’s body melts into stone and takes the hit, though he shivers from the impact.

_ Oh, that is absolutely vile!  _ Starshadow whines.  _ It’s like mold! Urgh, I might be sick. _

“Celestial, are you alright?” The king demands. He takes a step forward, though the ranged fighter shoots another arrow. Starshadow absorbs it into his hood.

“As good as I can get when absorbing magical poison… oh, that’s awful... Petricite, who would have thought it so useful?” Starshadow forces himself to speak. 

“A celestial? We need it. Grab him!” I think the one holding the dagger orders. The man with the spear disappears from sight. Starshadow shudders as he forces himself to take even more of Petricite magic. The sneak starts to shimmer into existence when he gets too close to me. Starshadow takes notice and lunges over me, completely allowing the others to be vulnerable to the archer. I weakly throw up a shield to absorb the next few arrows. My vision darkens far more than I would like it to, so I have to stop, but I did my job. My vision comes back slowly. I can just make out Pieter, the king, and Jarvan still standing. “Grab the girl!”

“TRY IT!” Starshadow roars, baring his fangs. 

“Protect the king and the prince! I’ll protect Leilah!” Pieter turns around and engages the spearman. Starshadow nods briefly returns to his post of defending the royal family. Jarvan looks eager to fight, though his father holds him back.

“Gladly.” The dagger wielder reaches out a hand and yanks. The stone bench under me is yanked towards them. Starshadow can’t attempt to keep me close, but Prince Jarvan manages to grab my arm and keep me with them. The stone mage snarls before he flicks his hand up. The mage with invisibility backs away and disappears. The poison mage also flees. The stone mage remains in front of us. He growls furiously. “Give me the girl.”

“She is under the protection of the Crown!” The king declares. Jarvan does his best to help yank me up. “Leilah Starshadow both.”

“Leilah Starshadow, huh? We’ll be back for her.” The mage snaps before he too disappears. Starshadow remains large for a moment before he relinquishes my magic. As he shrinks, I gasp. I’m able to move again.

“Is she… ok?” Starshadow gasps out. He’s looking horrible. Where he took hits there’s little burnt marks on him. He’s also much smaller, barely able to wrap around my wrist. I carefully pick him up.

“I’m alright, though you look terrible.”

_ Oh, don’t worry. A little nap and some time for you to recover your magic, I’ll be alright.  _ Starshadow croaks. I smile at him gratefully and gently tuck him into my scarf.  _ Oh, it’s soft. Aurora must be… zzzzzzzzzzz. _

“Are you alright, Leilah?” Pieter demands. I still flinch a little bit at his aggressive behaviour and the fact that the man is still wielding his sword. I have to remind myself that we were just in the middle of an attack on the prince and king, so he’s probably on edge.

“Y-y-yeah, I’m fine.” I mumble quietly.

“The celestial?” The King asks.

“J-j-just needs rest.” I tell him shyly. “We both do.”

“Very well. To your chambers then?” The king asks. 

“Probably not for the best, sir. Petricite is draining to keep mimicking. I need space from the stone to recover.” I do my best to politely decline his offer. Pieter looks deep in thought.

“Your highness, might I take Leilah to my home? The lack of Petricite would help Leilah and Starshadow recover better.” Pieter volunteers. I feel a little uncomfortable going with Pieter to a new place where more than likely his family does not like mages. Judging by how close Pieter is with the king, his family is going to be just as important… and just as magic hating as the rest of the kingdom…

“A-a-are you sure?” My nerves come out much more than I intend them to. Pieter takes notice of my discomfort and sheathes his sword.

“I will ensure that my family understands that you are not to be persecuted.” Pieter tries to sooth me.

“I don’t want to cause a rift in your family. I understand that magic is… not welcomed here. I don’t want to cause confusion.” I try to deny his request.

“What if you held your magical disguise while you are with my family? The one with brown hair, blue and black eyes? You’d look normal enough. There’s a few people with different colored eyes, so you won’t be questioned for looking different. And you can recover in your own room at your own pace. I can ensure that my family will not disturb you while you rest.”

“Don’t you have a young child? What about Tianna?” The king apparently brings up a strong point. Pieter sighs in annoyance.

“Lux will be a good girl, though Tianna will undoubtedly try to question her unless... “ Pieter looks at me with an odd look in his eyes. I feel a little uncomfortable under his gaze. The king seems to understand and nods.

“Are you sure that was the best way? I didn’t need that.” I grumble slightly. Starshadow sleeps on my neck as the carriage we’re in rides with the setting sun.

“Well, it should help. Are you alright? You’re looking a little pale.” Pieter asks. Now that he mentions it, I’m not feeling my best. 

“It’s probably now that I’m away from petricite that my magic is finally trying to heal itself.” I wave it away.

“Perhaps, though I believe I will send for a sanctioned healer. Better to be careful. You are under my protection while you recover.” Pieter stands firm.

“Really, I’m-”

“If you say you are ok, we’re going to have an issue.” Starshadow perks up. I jump a little bit.

“I thought-”

“Yeah, I was dozing off, but I prefer to know what you are getting yourself into. You are being offered assistance. You better take it.” Starshadow interrupts before he goes back to his sleepy state.

“But, your country doesn’t like mages. What if this one wants to hurt me?” I whisper.

“I will be in the chamber the whole time, with Starshadow watching him. I doubt many things can get past him.” Pieter does his best to comfort me. My head starts to get a little heavier. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to be checked out.

“When will the healer come?” I give in.

“Tomorrow, in the early morning. A message was already sent out.” Pieter answers me. The conversation rolls to a stop at the same time our carriage does. Pieter gestures for me to wait while he exits the carriage. 

“Brother, I am surprised to see you here.” A tall, stern blonde haired woman with a sword by her side greets Pieter. He answers her with a firm handshake. To a kinder, blonde haired woman he greets with a gentle kiss to her cheek. Two children, a young boy with brown hair and blue eyes dressed in garb similar to his father and a girl with bright blue eyes and blond hair that strongly resembles her mother dressed in dark blue, eagerly await their turn to greet their Father. Well, the little girl eagerly greets her father in a tight hug around his leg. The boy gives a tiny glare at his sister before smiling at Pieter. It’s obvious to see the adoration the children have for their father. When the girl finally lets go, he gives his father a warm hug.

“Daddy!” The little girl squeals. 

“Luxanna, behave. This is no way to greet your father.” The stern woman snaps her focus to the girl. Luxanna seems to wilt under the woman’s gaze.

“Sister, in private and while she is young, I do not mind. She knows her manners.” Pieter gently stops Tianna from continuing to scold the girl. Lux brightens up. I start to exit the carriage and carefully walk down the steps. My entrance seems to get the attention of everyone there. Lux bolts behind her father while the boy stiffens a little bit. Tianna merely raises an eyebrow. The other woman goes to her husband.

“Pieter?” She asks neutrally.

“Oh, right, introductions.” Pieter seems to become a little more formal. He takes his wife’s hand and pulls her gently forward. “This is my wife, the beautiful Augatha. My sister, Tianna Crownguard.” He gestures the children forward. Lux bounces forward while her brother is a little more… wary. “My son, Garen. My daughter, Luxanna.” 

I jolt a little bit at the name. I’ve definitely heard Garen from somewhere… I just can’t remember where. It’s very familiar… I just can’t remember… I don’t have much time to figure out where I know the name from when Pieter grabs my hand and presents me to his family.

“This is Lady Leilah Starshadow, the newest Champion to have climbed Mount Targon and newly sworn protector of the King and his line.”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guys believe that we've reached chapter 50 and we're already well over 175k words? I didn't realize it until someone made a post about having so many words and enjoying my work. I just want to say thank you guys so much for being on this journey with me. I can see some of the early chapters are rough, so I hope you have enjoyed my growth as a writer as much as I have, though now I can see my my thumbs pulse a little bit every now and then. 175k words. Think of the space bars. XD
> 
> Anyway, Leilah meet Jarvan VI and the Crownguards. The king, to me, has always been open minded, but he is manipulative. For those that know how Jarvan became king, I think that he manipulated his son to do what III thought was best for the kingdom at that time. Jarvan was also raised with those thoughts of open mindedness as he accepted a magical creature like Shyvana, just at the time he believed mages to be evil so he would protect the kingdom. With that reasoning, I had him be kind to Leilah instead of normal... Demacian hospitality.
> 
> Quick note: There is no timeline mistakes.
> 
> As always, I hope you guys have an extraordinary day, especially with college students starting up classes. If you need to, take a five minute breather to feel calmer. Or, read through my story again, though it is distinctly not five minutes long. XD


	51. Demacia Magic

“Just call me Leilah please.” I mutter quietly under my breath. Augatha and Tianna both raise eyebrows at my request, though Lux seems to dance on her feet a little bit. The motion she’s making is making me a little dizzy.

“I’m surprised you would not like to go by your title, Lady Starshadow. It’s not every day that a commoner would be given such an honor.” Tianna comments with a hard edge to her voice. She’s rather… straightforward and stern. I want to shrink back into the carriage and go back to the palace. At least the people there were a little kinder…

 _Head tall, Leilah. She’s trying to intimidate you. You technically outrank her as a chosen protector of the king._ Starshadow’s tail sneaks under my chin and forces it up. He’s using a little magic to make sure that the children don’t notice him. I do my best to steady my nerves. And my limbs.

“I’ve been known by my name most of my life. My accomplishments do not need to be voiced simply by using a title.” I do my best to speak directly.

“Well spoken, but I do not feel comfortable speaking to a distinguished person such as yourself with familiarity.” Tianna acquiesces a little bit. She’s still looking at me with distaste, but it’s smoother somehow. She seems to blur a little bit. I blink rapidly to fix it. I guess Pieter notices as he steps forward. It seems like one blink to the next and Pieter’s face is right in mine. I rub my eyes a little bit. The pounding in my head gets heavier.

“Leilah?” Pieter’s voice is distorted. I shake my head a little bit.

“I’m alright.” I try to get out of my mouth, but it feels fuzzy. Pieter doesn’t believe me, either of him. My hands are feeling itchy. My legs feel itchy too, like they’re going numb. I reach down to scratch, or do my legs reach up? I can’t tell. The ground is closer than before. There’s a thick rope around my stomach. I frown and try to pull it off. My hands don’t feel anything as I grab it. Or, I think I grab it. I can’t tell. I can’t see. Am I even awake anymore? I think I am. I can still feel things. I’m propped between two bars. My body feels cold. Or is it warm? It’s both. It’s comfy… no, it doesn’t feel like anything. Where did the feeling go? I’m pretty sure I could feel… _What’s happening?_

 _“_ **_Dammit! How the hell did this happen?_ ** _” Daamien’s body is glowing a deep red. I blink. I can see again, but it’s… weirdly colored. Everything is purple. Even my river. The stars are purple. There’s something else that’s odd. They’re fading. That’s not right. I’m blessed with a celestial, it should be starry. My head is a little fuzzy still. “_ **_You didn’t take the hits._ ** _”_

_“What’s going on?” The fuzzy feeling in my mouth is still there. I lick my lips a little bit to try to stop it. It just gets a little bit worse._

You and Starshadow are integrally linked. That might be what happened. _Aurora suggests. Her voice is off too. It’s… sickly. Like a bad cold. I turn around and immediately worry about her. She’s glowing a soft sickly purple. She’s slumped on the ground, far away from the river where she usually is. What concerns me is the purple color is growing. The brighter the purple, she gets dimmer. She even coughs out light, causing her to dim even more._

_“Aurora!” I hobble over to her side. My legs are giving out here too. That’s not good, I think._

Don’t touch me! It might hurt you more! _Aurora struggles to back away, though her cry has me falling short. I don’t really think anything was going to change anything anyway. It’s already in me._

 _“_ **_If that’s the case… Starshadow should be here…_ ** _” Daamien looks into the hole he came from. He reaches in and yanks out my bonded._

 _“_ What am I doing- What the hell has happened here? I thought I got rid of the poison! _” Starshadow yelps when he takes in my magic core._

_“Did you always have the power to yank us to come here?” I lick my lips. It’s definitely getting weirder._

_“_ **_Do I have to teach you both about magic, you silly children? Poison has to be nullified. It can’t just be cast out. That explains why Aurora and Leilah are suffering and not us. Dammit, Starshadow, if you had just kept the poison in us, I would have fixed us. It’s simple for me. You would have been unable to assist her, but they wouldn’t be suffering!_ ** _” Daamien rants for a while. He pauses for a bit. “_ **_And only Starshadow as my soul is bound to his and he’s not of the mortal races._ ** _”_

 _“_ Can’t she just heal herself? _” Starshadow asks. I groan as my stomach feels very uncomfortable and I throw up._

 _“_ **_Not possible for her. She holds the healing power, but not the healing know-how. She just throws her magic willy nilly. I should have trained her, but I don’t know if it’ll work. She’s-_ ** _”_

_“Right here.” I grumble in annoyance. Daamien flicks his eyes over and finally starts examining me._

_“_ **_Every magic user has a different way of using magic. You’ve become accustomed to your way of casting. Attempting to teach you anything different might slow down progress, possibly even revert your skills. Your healing is powerful and is learning to be more efficient, but it’s not good against something like this._ ** _” Daamien inspects my condition. I hiss when he presses a tender spot. My magic flow also glows in dislike in one spot. Daamien’s eyes flash over to the light and immediately goes over. “_ **_That’s the magic that’s still resisting the poison. That’s why she’s held out so long and din’t show signs of being poisoned until now. Starshadow, your magic is more similar to Aurora’s, use it right._ ** _”_

 _“_ What do you need me to do? _” Starshadow’s tail picks me up gingerly._

 _“_ **_Focus your magic on keeping that spot bright. I’m going to counter the poison._ ** _” Daamien plunges a hand into the river. It hisses and sizzles. Daamien winces as he yanks his hand out. It’s in his darkin form, but it’s making an airy noise. My eyes widen when I notice the ridges dissolve a little bit. Still, Daamien doesn’t leave the fading magic. His knees are dangerously close to burning as well. “_ **_Acid. Magic acid. How dull. Most common poison. Really should be more creative. Just designed to sicken and kill. Shouldn’t take too long…_ ** _”_

_“Daamien, seriously?” I choke out in annoyance. “Talking about it being simple is not going to cure Aurora!”_

_“_ **_Apologies, it’s how I handle stressful situations. Now, every magical poison has a unique signature. This one is full of anger and… precision? Oh, that’s interesting. It’s efficient, going for your spine and organs… It knows… but it’s confused… Interesting…_ ** _”_

 _“_ Why is it confused, all knowledgeable one? I thought it was simple. _” Starshadow asks sarcastically. I roll my eyes at his impatience. I guess Daamien’s used to Starshadow’s sarcasm as he doesn’t even bother paying attention._

 _“_ **_I thought it was, but as I said, each magic user has unique ways of using it, and as such, a unique method of purifying is needed. A general anti-magic healing might help… no it won’t. Shit!_ ** _”_

 _“_ Don’t keep us in suspense here, Bossman! What is it? _” Starshadow snaps. My chest tightens. It hurts so much. I feel like my lungs are burning._

 _“_ **_It’s a professional poison. It won’t accept a general healing. Attempting to do so will only make the poison move faster! It really was designed to kill a king, with very little chance of healing. Luckily, you have the greatest healer as your source of magic. It has to be precise. I can heal it, but I need time._ ** _” Daamien explains quickly. His hands dig into the acid. He hisses as loudly as the poison does on his skin. I feel horrible for Daamien and struggle to pull any magic to help._

_“Help… him…” My vision is getting fuzzy. I really could die, this time from saving a king. Huh. I wonder when I’ll start to hear the wolf howls. I’ll miss everyone… No, I can’t think like that. Too many people need me. Now and in the future. I have to hold on. If only there’s a way to stop or freeze the poison… Freeze the poison… “Star...sha...dow… True…” My throat burns too much for me to keep talking._

_“_ True what? True love? If that was the case, I’d bring Yone here, but I doubt that’s it… True Ice! You’re brilliant! Daamien, True Ice! Can we replicate True Ice again? _” Starshadow understands at last. I’m glad he does, even if he decided to tease me first. I squeak in pain. It’s getting worse. My ears ring, but I can still hear everyone clearly. I guess it’s because we’re in my mind._

 _“_ **_There’s a chance that it might not work because it’s a foreign magic and the poison might not act well with it, but if the creator doesn’t know True Ice, so the poison might actually freeze. We need Aurora’s skills as an illusionist. She’s in no condition to use any magic right now. There isn’t enough magic in the core for her to use._ ** _”_

We have to try. _Aurora struggles to breath properly. Starshadow’s body moves. I can barely make out his head helping Aurora over to us. She’s badly colored, almost no light in her at all. Only her eyes, the same color as the eye gifted to me, remain._ We need the chance.

 _“_ I’ll help. I know what True Ice feels like. _” Starshadow helps me lie down. My arms are tingling. “_ Hang on, Leilah. We’ll make you right as the sun. _”_

_Hurry… Star...shadow… Aurora… Daamien… help…_

* * *

Leilah? Are you alright? Well, perhaps that’s the wrong word, but are you conscious? _Aurora pressures my shoulder. I gasp and struggle awake. My arms flail around, splashing my core. I inhale the magic and can’t breath. I know I’m technically in my mind, but I guess I need air to breath. I pop my head up and choke out magic. It’s an odd taste, like a winter sky, freezing ice, and volcanic ash. Either way, I can’t breath. I cough and sputter, but I’m alive. And very cold._

_“W-w-what h-h-happ-p-p-pened?” I shiver. Aurora, slowing going back to the beautiful borealis colors she usually wears. She’s still a bit too purple for my liking, but she’s alive._

_“_ Brilliant idea you had, True Ice to stop it. Aurora changed our magic and tricked the poison into freezing. We had to throw you in the True Ice when it was obvious that you suffered too much. Leaving you out and open without any support would have killed you. Daamien studied and found the element that dissolves the magic. Took all night and the healer came in before he was finished. He tried to put the general healing potion in if I didn’t step in. Don’t worry, only Pieter was in there. Well, besides the healer. We told him we have it and I came back here. _”_

_“D-d-d-did y-y-you act-t-t-tuall-l-ly throw m-m-me?” I have to ask. Knowing Starshadow, He’d do whatever it took to help, that includes tossing my body in. Aurora gently pets my hair and wraps a blanket of borealis around us. It’s comforting, but it’s not enough to warm me. Still, I’ll take anything._

Figure of speech, Leilah. Don’t worry. We took care of the poison and Daamien is currently restoring your body as we speak. _Aurora presses a kiss against my crown._

_“I-I-I’m s-s-saf-f-fe?”_

_“_ **_You still need rest. No Petricite, no magic using, I’m actually going to forbid you from even moving for a day. Your body took a toll. By my count, your lungs were melted down, your spine was dissolved, and your heart was going next. We managed to contain the poison before it went anywhere else. Your spine is still regrowing, so you won’t be able to move for a while anyway-_ ** _” Daamien starts going into a ramble._

_“W-w-what-t-t?” I squawk._

_“_ **_Starshadow will ensure that you actually do rest and not try to entertain children. Aurora told me that you would happily give up your health if it meant they would smile, so Starshadow will inform Lord Crownguard to tell his children to not disturb you until you don’t feel tingling in your legs… What else… Ah, yes. I want you to meditate. Your magic, as you see, is flowing wildly. There’s no limit of control on your magic. It’s just a massive tidal wave. Had your magic responded quicker, it would have flooded the poison, making it wild before we could stop it._ ** _”_

_“W-w-why d-d-didn’t-t-t it att-t-tack before?”_

_“_ **_Starshadow and I have unrestricted access. It came from us, your magic trusted it. Thankfully it trusted us to take care of it as well or you would be on your next life._ ** _” Daamien flexes his hand that was burnt. It looks like it’s regrowing itself, though it’s much slower than mine is. “_ **_Back to the topic at hand, you need to meditate. You can heal, you’re definitely strong enough. You are not skilled enough to deal with poisons that have specific keys or requirements to them. This one needed a spark of destruction. I do mean a spark of destruction, I went mad and started to blast the damn thing. No idea why that worked, but it did. Perhaps it’s because healing would make it worse, it’s opposite would work..._ ** _”_

_“A-a-are m-m-most-t-t l-l-like t-t-that?”_

_“_ **_Some take a flame, some take a storm. Some need sorrow, apology, and some need peace. Again, it’s up to the original magician that made it. The more complex ones require a series of runes. Those ones are the worst._ ** _” Daamien rambles fondly. Aurora shakes her head and tries to rub me warm._

Perhaps we should ensure that Leilah will not contract pneumonia again? _She suggests. Daamien’s cheeks brighten and he runs a hand over my head. A feeling of warmth so hot I feel like I’m burning runs over me. I yelp from the pain, but I’m not freezing anymore._

 _“_ Can I go back now? Pieter’s been up all night worried about you. _” Starshadow interrupts. Aurora nods._

_“All night?” I squeak._

_“_ He took his promise to keep you safe, also, Daamien said he needed time. _” Starshadow explains._

Thank you for your help, old friend. _Aurora reaches her hands up to him. He rests his head on her hands and fondly nuzzles them._

 _“_ Anything for her… you! Anything for you. _” Starshadow blushes and dives into his hole. I tilt my head at his abrupt escape. Aurora laughs._

You’ve certainly grown on him, Leilah.

_“He mentioned that when Lissandra asked him. He’d do anything for me.” I smile fondly at the thought of my brother being embarrassed to say his affection towards me… He really is like my sibling that teases and protects me… But he’s not my babysitter._

_“_ **_Now, you should wake up. Pieter and the healer are not liking Starshadow’s diagnosis and demanding to see you wake up._ ** _” Daamien pats my head. I nod and stand up. Well, I try to. My legs are definitely shaky._

_“Thank you. For keeping me alive.”_

“She’s fine!” That’s Starshadow’s voice.

“Then why did she turn blue? The healer said that it would kill her!” Pieter argues with him. I’m definitely waking up in the real world now.

“Because we needed to buy time for the Darkin inside her to find the proper cure? The healer, even with the best intentions, would have killed her. It really was a poison to kill a normal person. An inexperienced healer, which I assume is rather common in a country that is constantly capturing and torturing mages, would have done the same thing as your healer. They would have given a general poison curer. The problem with that is that the poison is designed to get stronger with it’s presence. Magic is complex and should be properly understood! Her magic froze her body to give us time we needed to stop it. She had to turn blue to preserve the last of her life!” Starshadow rants.

“Wa...ter…” I groan. My throat is so dry. I cough something out of my mouth. It starts to choke me since it has nowhere to go. My head must be looking straight up. I can barely move to get the damn blockage out. Thankfully, someone tilts my head to the side. The thing is gone. I crack open my eyes to see blackened skin in front of me. I groan and try to turn away. Someone pulls me upright. Another glimpse and it’s the healer. He has bright green eyes, soft features, and black hair. This person must be with the mageseekers as he’s wearing the same blue uniforms they had. He doesn’t look older than I do. He’s holding a cup of water. He gently tilts it into my mouth. I take hungry gulps. I didn’t realize how parched I was until then.

“Easy, Lady Starshadow. Take it easy.” The healer coos. I give a soft nod and try to drink slower. It kinda works, but I’m so thirsty. The cup is drained before I’m fully quenched.

“Mo...re?”

“I’ll go order some.” Pieter remarks. There’s a shift on my bed of someone getting up and going to the door. A sinuous body creeps up my stomach. My eyebrows furrow. I could only feel him when he got to my rib cage. There was no pull of magic, so he wasn’t using any shadow magic. I couldn’t feel him climb up my stomach.

 _Starshadow? What’s happened? Why can’t I move?_ Even my voice sounds weak and tired.

 _Oh, yeah. Didn’t Daamien mention you’ve suffered spine damage?_ Starshadow reminds me of Daamien’s instructions. I groan. I can’t move, can’t use magic. If something goes wrong, which it probably will, it’s going to be awful. Well, something going wrong more than it already has. Demacia is slowly starting to rival my dislike for Bilgewater at this rate.

“Here.” Pieter’s voice is much closer. I jump a little bit at the noise and finally keep my eyes open. He’s offering another glass. My hands tremble as I try to reach for it. The healer takes it for me and helps me drink again. “You had a close call there.”

“I… heard…” I murmur. I’m so tired. It makes sense, I just fought for my life. Poison is not a laughing matter.

“How are you feeling, Lady Starshadow?” The healer asks. I can feel my snake make a noise of annoyance in the back of his throat, making me want to laugh. He does not like hearing lady before his name, apparently.

“Ow.” I answer the best way I know how. The healer nods.

“Understandable. You did just fight off a rather deadly poison.” He offers Starshadow a soft light blue potion. My bonded sniffs the potion and glares at it. It glows the color it is before he nods. The healer offers the potion to me. “This is meant to help you restore your magic. Your protective celestial ordered it be completed this way.”

_Drink it. It’s good. If it wasn’t it wouldn’t glow light blue. It’d glow black._

_How do you know that?_ The exhaustion is setting in faster than I would like.

 _Daamien told me. Aurora helped. Drink._ Starshadow barks. I do my best to obey. The healer props me up so I don’t choke. It’s sluggish and tastes like absolute barf. Starshadow keeps a close eye, and it’s not like I can fight, so I force it down. It feels like an eternity where I struggle against drinking it while trying to keep going. A nasty cycle that seems to last forever. Once the last drop is swallowed, I shove the bottle away and lean over the side of the bed, feeling like I’m going to throw up. _What? You think good medicine tastes good?_

“Why couldn’t you have changed the taste of it.” I gasp out. The urge to throw up slowly goes away, but not fast enough.

“Because we can’t use your magic quite yet, though I’m a tad impressed. It really is a quick remedy to ensure survival.” Starshadow remarks.

“What are you talking about, you insufferable snake?” I look over my shoulder to glare at him. I try to kick him, only my legs don’t work. A noise of irritation comes up my throat. Starshadow notices where I’m looking and gives me a soft look.

“Well, you’re coherent and able to be on your arms, though it seems like your spine needs a little more time. At least you aren’t going to fade away. Now, you are still on bedrest and you aren’t allowed to use magic. I’m going to sleep and learn from Daamien, and Pieter and… what’s your name again?” Starshadow starts his power trip before he’s halted by a lack of knowing someone’s name. He glances towards the man that helped me.

“It’s Gethro.”

“Hmmm. Don’t like it. Potion man will leave the room and let you rest.” Starshadow dismisses Healer Gethro. I glare at him.

“Starshadow…”

“Look, if I really know Potion Man’s name, what happens if all healers are attacked because they have magic? I’d rather tell the truth and not know the man’s name so he can avoid being identified.” Starshadow lets out a mighty yawn. Pieter, Gethro, and I all stare at Starshadow in surprise. He notices and smirks. I can sense him wanting to put a smile on my face and prepare for Starshadow’s ego to come through. He doesn’t disappoint. “Yes, I am amazing. Keep look-”

“Take your ego out of Pieter’s house, it doesn’t fit anymore.” I interrupt his bragging. Starshadow visibly wilts, though he doesn’t stay that way for long. I look at Pieter and Gethro in concern. Starshadow, while rude, might actually have a valid point. 

“Are you certain Gethro will be protected? Mages are not exactly treated well here.” I ask. A few memories flash before my eyes of Vannis going mad because I couldn’t heal Marcino. I’m afraid for him.

“You do not need to worry. Gethro is a part of the historic line of healers that have served the king faithfully. He will not be prosecuted.” Pieter’s soft voice tries to quell my concerns. His hand gently presses against my shoulder in only the way a father can. I blink at the kindness he’s showing.

“But what happens if he fails? What happens if he isn’t useful anymore? What if-” My throat bubbles with fears. It starts to close up. I feel like I’m starting to choke. My breath is getting shorter and shorter. It feels like another panic attack, but I haven’t had one in such a long time. Though, someone else might be in trouble. I blink and I’m at a farm, with a mad mageseeker getting too close to me. I scream and scramble away, but my legs don’t work. Then I blink and I’m back in Pieter’s home. A groan escapes my throat and I fall onto my back. I can’t believe I just had another flashback. I haven’t had one in such a long time. What caused it this time?

“Leilah, Leilah, Deep breaths, ok? Just take a few deep breaths.” Gethro starts to help me calm down. I take tiny little gasps. It’s really all I can manage. My ears start to ring a little bit. Gethro’s face comes into mine and attempts to help, but I can’t hear him. His hands are glowing softly, but whatever he’s doing, it’s not working. It’s like there’s a barrier stopping him.

 _Don’t worry so much, Leilah. His family has long served the Lightshield’s. Breath. He’s safe._ Starshadow speaks up in my mind. _You’re safe. Nothing is going to happen to you, or me, or any mage while we’re here. Pieter’s watching and he’s not hurting you. No one here is hurting you._

_I… know… but…_

_You’re scared. I know. I’m scared too. You’re my best friend and bonded that currently is not letting anyone help you. Didn’t know you could do that, but it’s a good thing that I have free access whenever I want._ I feel Starshadow’s scales under my fingertips. It helps a little bit. I squeeze him a little too hard as the base of my spine suddenly gets a sharp squeezing pain, but it helps. _You aren’t alone. No one will hurt you if I have anything to say about it._

_You know… that doesn’t… always work…_

_Yeah, well… We’re working on it. Nothing’s gonna stop me from doing my damnest to keep you safe. Nothing. And right now, you are safe. I’m here, Pieter’s not attacking us-_

_That’s not helping._

_Stop your whining. You trust me, right?_ Starshadow changes tactics.

_Of course._

_Trust me now. We’re safe._ Starshadow presses his head against my chin. My breathing becomes easier and I finally feel like I can breath.

“Lady Starshadow?” Gethro’s voice is slowly coming back. I gasp when the closing in my throat clears. “Lady Starshadow, are you-”

“Can you just call me Leilah? Please?” I whisper. Gethro jerks a little bit. I catch him glancing at Pieter for advice before he comes back to me.

“Lady Leilah, are you alright now?” He asks me. I nod slowly. My stomach is in knots, but it’s slowly loosening.

“Y-y-yeah.”

“That’s good to hear. I’m going to help you onto your back.” Gethro speaks very slowly. I nod to let him know I heard him. He carefully shifts me onto my back. “I’m going to pull the covers up. You need your rest. I’ll tell you the bad news when you wake up again.”

“Why not tell me now?” I ask, trying to prop myself up. Gethro has none of it and keeps me down.

“You just had a panic attack. You need to rest. Your celestial says that he’ll watch over you and make sure you’ll be alright in the end.” Pieter argues. I jump a little bit at the sudden intrusion. I forgot he was still here.

“I’ll be alright. If it’s anything wrong with my body, it’ll heal. How long before I can walk again?” I ask, turning to the only one that could understand what I’m talking about.

“Shouldn’t take more than a day. Though, I don’t know how long you have to rest before we go back into the world of Petricite. It shouldn’t be more than a week, as that’s when Sylas will arrive. That’s plenty of time, especially with the magic replenisher.” Starshadow rattles off.

“That’s not possible. There’s no healer in the world that can restore a broken spine, much less in a day.” Healer Gethro sounds very confused and intrigued.

“She can. If she can regrow eyeballs and pinkies, a spine won’t take her long at all.” Starshadow snuggles into my chest. I shake my head at his pride in me, but he’s not wrong. Eyeballs were hard and weird to regrow, even if I didn’t mean to regrow them. A pinky was fast, though that could have been because I’ve grown as a magic user. My spine can’t take that long, though it’s probably going to be a really weird feeling. Gethro looks to me for confirmation. I just nod to verify Starshadow’s story.

“That’s amazing! How do you do it? Spine nerves are incredibly delicate and should never be touched unless by an experienced healer.” Gethro leans a bit too close to me. Starshadow takes note and opens his hood between us.

“Sometimes even the most experienced healer can not compete with instincts.” Starshadow dismisses the man. He lets his hood down when Gethro backs away. The healer still looks beyond curious. I gently nudge my snake. He glances at me. I jerk my head to the healer. _No, I’m not going to teach him healing._

 _Why not? Maybe the king will be kinder to mages if he becomes a better healer. The prince might even have a good impression on mages and lift the ban._ I try to reason with him.

_No. One because I’m not good at healing. I know the concepts and stuff like that because Daamien won’t stop talking about them, but I can’t actually heal. That’s your department._

_Why isn’t he teaching it in my sleep then?_

_Oh, because you’ve already settled into a way of healing. Any attempts to change it would make your magic confused._ Starshadow remarks. I think about how much I refer to magic as having a personality or a feeling. It’s rather interesting.

_We tend to make magic sound alive, don’t we._

_It is alive. Well, it’s both alive and not alive… Magic… gah! Fine, best way I know how. Magic is an extension of oneself. Some, like my majestic self, are gifted with more magic. The more magic something or someone has, the more it starts to change them physically. That’s why I’m a snake that grew fangs and an awesome hood or Soraka looks decidedly not human. You, on the other hand, were gifted with your magic, it’s why your eyes and hair have changed._ Starshadow makes a very good explanation.

_Then why can’t I be taught?_

_You remember how you learned to run and defend yourself? What if I told you to use magic to stop them from now on._

_I don’t have enough magic to successfully do that._

_No, you do. You’ve just been taught to keep your magic in reserve. I’m telling you that your magic is capable of being used while you run and fight._

_But I don’t know what could happen if there’s a chance I do run out of magic?_

_It’s really hard for you to do that now. You’ll be fine._

_But… Oh._

_Yeah, oh. Once you’ve learned one way, it’s hard to go another. You’ve been healing by chucking your magic at everyone and letting that massive cascade of magic to the work. What you’ve been doing has been working for you so far. In an emergency, you aren’t going to listen when I say your magic needs to do another thing. So, until you are open to actually listening and guiding your magic, I’m not going to teach you anything new until then._ Starshadow nuzzles his head into my chin. I relax and slowly stroke his head. We both freeze when there’s an odd noise… I think it’s a deep purr, come out of his throat. _We don’t mention that._

 _I’m going to use that whenever I can. I hope you know that._ I tease him a little bit before a yawn escapes my mouth.

“Well, Leilah needs her rest. She’s had an interesting night and I can teach some of the more… easily understood concepts.” Starshadow slips out of my fingers. My eyes start to flutter closed. The last thing I see before I fall asleep is Pieter escorting the two magic users as Starshadow begins his lecture over some small healing aspect that seems to be a surprise to Potion Man. 

_Dammit, Starshadow._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would have predicted that Leilah was poisoned from that fight? I did leave a little hint in the last chapter, but I hope I kept it subtle so her being sick... again... would come out of the blue. But, here's proof that Demacia will use mages that prove themselves useful. Demacia... Kinda irritates me with how they behave with mages. Take Shyvana. Both shunned from the place but expected to be loyal to the king. It's a nightmare prepared to erupt. Guess that's why Nocturne and Fiddlesticks found the place so tempting.
> 
> So, Leilah is a damn good healer, but she's underdeveloped. As she is the core of the two, she doesn't have the easy access to learn from Daamien, not like Starshadow. She's self-taught, but of course, that's going to get people in trouble later. After all, she's in a class all her own, so she has to teach herself. This is going to impact people in a big way later. I'm not going to spill anymore drops though. We'll just have to see if Leilah can learn to control how much magic is needed to heal instead of instantly doing so. Sometimes a trickle of magic does a better job for healing.
> 
> Well, that's the end of my rambles. As always, remember this. Because you ordinary people are in the world, you make the day extraordinary, especially to me, because you take time out of your day to read my massive work. Thank you so much. I know I don't say this often, but I'd love to read reviews. let me know how you feel about this work. I'd love to know your theories as to what will happen. I promise, I won't cackle too much if I'm going to crush your hopes and dreams. XD


	52. Demacian Divide in Beliefs

The next time my eyes open, I find myself mostly alone. Starshadow’s comfortably sleeping on my pillow. His little hood spreads and shrinks with each breath. It’s kinda cute to watch since he’s so small. The sun has fallen, so I think I’ve been out for a while. I sit up and stretch out a little bit. None of my muscles feels like they’ve moved in a while, so I’ve definitely been in bed at least all day. I call on a little bit of my magic to change my eyes and hair. I didn’t forget that no one here, outside of Pieter and a possible healer, knows that I have magic. There’s no pain in my core, so I guess I replenished my magic faster than a day. I’m definitely feeling a lot better. My legs are working as well, so my magic also healed my spine.

With a soft, gentle stroke to Starshadow’s head, I pull myself into a sitting position. Everything feels very sore. I haven't moved in longer than a day I’m feeling this much.  _ I guess that bed rest order doesn’t apply to me anymore now. _ With that thought, I decided to slip off the bed. My feet respond just great, though they do have a bit of a struggle supporting my weight for a moment. I have to hold onto the bed post while my lower body realizes that yes, I am standing. I actually pause at my own thoughts for a moment.  _ I really have been spending too much time with Starshadow if I’m sarcastic with myself.  _ I feel perspiration appear on my forehead, but I choose to ignore it in favor of getting out of this room.

The door creaks open. I turn my attention to see the sterner of the two women, I think it’s Lady Tianna, enter the room. There’s a small glimpse of blond and brown hair as Lady Tianna closes the door behind her. She has a bowl of something with her. It smells absolutely heavenly. My stomach gives quite a loud growl as the smell of it causes my mouth to salivate hard. I lick my lips and lift my hands away from the bed. My legs shake a little bit, but I don’t want to be impolite to the woman and rest. 

“Lady Starshadow!” Lady Tianna takes notice that I’m standing. She quickly sets down the soup and catches me right as my legs slip. I yelp as I fall. I feel a small tug in my gut though, making me a little bit more tired. “You should be resting!”

“How long have I been out?” I gasp. My magic soothes the tremors in my legs as Lady Tianna helps me take a seat. She glares at me, silently telling me not to move. I follow her direction as she returns to grab the bowl.

“This is your third day here, Lady Starshadow.” Tianna hands me the bowl. It’s a simple broth with some chicken and vegetables. I take a cautious sip. It’s hot enough that I immediately feel like I burned my mouth, though I persist and keep eating.

“I was out that long?” I gasp once the soup is halfway gone and I can actually concentrate. I didn’t realize that a soft pulsing was in my head until it was gone. I definitely feel much better now, though I’m still hungry. “I hope I didn’t worry any of you.”

“My brother said that you needed your rest, since you managed to survive a rather deadly poison with the help from a healer. We kept the children occupied.” Lady Tianna dismisses my concern. I nod and finish up the soup. It’s an uncomfortable quiet as my spoon clatters against the bowl’s bottom. Once I finish eating, I place the bowl on the stand next to the bed and turn around. If I wasn’t already pale, my face would have reached the color it is. Tianna’s holding Starshadow’s sleeping form in her hands. “So this is the illustrious Starshadow, the extension of you.”

“You… know about… me?” I do my best to be as vague as possible. She raises an eyebrow.

“By you, you mean your ability to use magic and your inability to harm another being, then yes. I do know. I’m also aware of your… the term you use is bonded, correct?” Tianna gently places Starshadow back on his pillow. He stirs a little bit before returning to slumber. He’s probably learning from Daamien right now about teleports since he didn’t wake up. I frown a little bit. It doesn’t seem like I get to talk to Aurora or Daamien much unless I’m in extreme peril. Maybe there’s a way for me to talk with them in my sleep. I could do it while I was meditating. Though, while I’m asleep I have dreams. Maybe I can get myself to meditate instead of dream and learn from them about our magic. We can discover what else my magic can do too. Daamien did request that I meditate more often. A throat being cleared brings me back to the present.

“Uh, yes. We like to use the term bonded, though Starshadow is more of a leech than anything.” I joke a little bit to try to relax her. Tianna lifts an eyebrow before taking the bowl away. She does not look amused, so I guess it didn’t work. I shrink a little bit.

“Apologies, I am not the most… interactive of people.” She starts. I blink at her forwardness and I don’t exactly know what to say.

“That’s… ok.” I try to state. There’s an awkward silence as we just look at each other. I shift a little bit and my hand finds my hair.

“Lady Augatha is aware of your… magic condition-”

“Gift.” I interrupt. I really don’t want to hear how I have a disease.

“I beg your pardon?” Tianna sounds confused and irritated. I wince a little bit inside at interrupting her, but I don’t want to be talked over anymore.

“Magic isn’t a condition. It’s a gift. Like someone given blue eyes or brown eyes.”

“Magic is a disease. It caused the Rune Wars.” She states firmly.

“First of all, I have no idea what Rune Wars. Second of all, I wasn’t born with magic. I still have all the feelings I have for my parents and friends are the same as now as before. I remember all the things they taught me. I don’t consider myself more important than anyone else.” I argue.

“The Rune Wars was a time when mages fought each other for power. Their battles were so great normal people like myself or the King were unable to defend ourselves. We started as a refugee village, for those that could not defend ourselves. We found Petricite and weaponized it, so we could protect ourselves. Our saviour, Kayle, made our country possible. She could fight against mages where normal people could not. She protected us by putting in laws. To this day, we live under her laws religiously. We are aware that magic is not the cause of hatred, but the people who wield it are more likely to attack others. It is like an alcoholic. In order to help them get better, they must be completely removed from the source. And that sort of behaviour can spread.” Lady Tianna steps forward aggressively. I push myself to stand up to her, literally and figuratively.

“Magic isn’t like that. It’s similar to how people use swords or weapons to defend themselves. We choose how to use it. I can only use my magic to help others..” I try to get her to understand. She lifts her chin and clenches her jaw.

“You may have magic to help others, but someday you will lash out at others. You will hurt others.” She sounds so confident. I, on the other hand, feel… uneasy. No one has ever expected that bad of me just because I have a skill.

“I can’t hurt you, not without being harmed myself.” I protest quietly. Tianna raises an eyebrow.

“Prove it.” She demands quietly, gesturing to her sword. It’s in easy reach, so I try to grab it. Right as my hand grabs around the handle, her other hand snaps around my wrist. With a sharp tug, my wrist is broken. I yelp from the pain and hobble away. The pain is sharp in my mind, but I can keep myself focused. It’s not as bad as Trundle’s grip. Besides, my magic soothes the injury very quickly. It’s practically fully healed by the time she speaks again. “You mages are all the same.”

“How on Runeterra did Leilah prove that she was a bad mage? Are you trying to get your niece and nephew in the door to think poorly of mages?” Starshadow speaks up. Both of us turn to my snake. He’s bigger than he normally is, but he’s not enough to completely hold a person if he wants to. Around my height actually. No, he is my height. He’s heavy as he slowly slithers up my body to my shoulders.

“W-w-what? I don’t know what you are-”

“It’s too bad that I’ve been keeping an illusion on the door. All they see are the two of you conversing, with Leilah’s brown hair and two colored eyes.” Starshadow yawns, showing off thin fangs. He carefully folds his fangs back in as he smacks his mouth a little bit. “I wouldn’t worry about your nephew believing that mages are bad, though. He’s gotten to the age where he believes everything his family believes and only them, yes?”

_ When did you wake up?  _ I mentally ask him, reaching up the formerly broken arm to pet him. Tianna’s eyes are fixed on my actions. Her eyes widen when she realizes my magic healed the injury just as fast as she caused it. Starshadow preens a little bit, spreading his hood a little bit.  _ How did you know that the kids were still there? _

_ Right when she came in. And it’s not hard to see their shadows beneath the door, or their eyes looking through the door.  _ Starshadow points out. I glance at the door. Sure enough, there’s a little blue eye peeking through the door. There’s also a splash of brown hair that almost seems to sneak into the room. 

_ Please don’t torture her, Starshadow. _

_ Oh, I’m already doing that. This isn’t going as she wants. That’s enough torture for someone like her. Can you imagine her hatred for us now that we’re single handedly controlling the situation?  _ Starshadow snickers in my mind while he continues to show off just how much you shouldn’t cross him.

_ That’s not very nice. You shouldn’t be so cruel. _

_ She shouldn’t have tried to frame you first. _

It strikes me then, just how Demacia’s mage issue has come about. Starshadow proves it well for me. He might be under the same curse as I am, but he has his own ways of creating bitterness to those that he deems deserve it. I haven’t seen it much, but I have heard it. He hates celestials, talking about how they are the worst. Granted, Atreus thinks the same, but it’s that bitterness that catches my attention. Grena treated me poorly, so Starshadow returned the favor. He is displaying that desire to show that we won’t back down through dominance over who can do it better. He… lives for the power over others. I understand why, having been bullied in the stars for so long, but… It’s draining. My mother had this saying, stating it was from her culture. ‘An eye for an eye’. She told me it was saying that if someone did something bad, that same bad thing could repeat itself to someone else. It looks like Starshadow will follow that belief.

I can’t though. Granted, I’m not a very violent girl, but I don’t want revenge. It’s… tiring. I could be mad at those that hurt me, but it’s exhausting to hate. And dangerous. Nine year old me can prove that first hand. It’s also just as tiring to be terrified of other people. I’m not going to be kind to the ones that captured me, but I’m also not going to just be friendly to them either. They did hell to me, but if I treat them as poorly as they treated me, they might ressent who I am and what I represent. That just sends everything back into a cycle. Like Mother’s belief, ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’. I think that’s how Demacia came to hate their mages so much. Because they hated mages for hurting them, they found ways to hurt mages. Mages, in return, used their magic to defend themselves. It’s a never ending cycle. 

I drop all the illusions. My eyes, my hair, everything drops. I even take down the illusion Starshadow is using. I hear a soft gasp as it’s clear that Starshadow in on my shoulders where he wasn’t before, nor are my magical features considered possible anymore. Tianna’s still wary, keeping herself between the door and I. It’s up to me now.

_ What are you doing?  _ Starshadow asks me harshly.  _ I had it under control. _

_ What should have been done a long time ago.  _ I reply.  _ Trust me. _

_...Always. _

I bring a hand up. Tianna pulls out her sword and points it directly at me. I ignore it in favor of closing my fingers and bringing it to my mouth. With a soft blow, I bring illusions into the room. A borealis flutters out of my palm. All sorts of colors stretch out. Tianna tenses as the colors float past her harmlessly. The door creaks open to let the children enter the room. Luxanna is in awe while Garen is imitating his aunt, tense and uneasy. I can feel Starshadow shrink down to his normal foot long self, giving me a little more magic to work with. With a flick of my fingers, butterflies break out of colors and spin around Luxanna. Luxanna squeals with excitement as she reaches out for one. I guide on to land on her finger. It’s wings change colors. She giggles excitedly before showing it to her aunt. Tianna’s eyes are full of amazement as well. Garen looks confused, but he’s not looking to rip into anyone. My forehead immediately dampens with sweat. I’ve never created such a complex illusion before.

_ What do you mean what should have been done a long time ago?  _ Starshadow asks me, calmer.

_ It’s a never ending cycle. Fear of the other. Normal people fear mages because of what they can do. Mages fear normal people for their harsh reaction. Chains, robbing them of an integral part to their lives, it’s no wonder that Demacia is struggling. _

_ Okay… how do we break the cycle? _

_ We show kindness. We show that there are other ways to treat each other instead of hostility. _

“Aunt Tianna, look!” Little Luxanna holds her butterfly with both hands. I’m rather interested in the fact that the butterfly on her hand has turned into something similar to pure light. Starshadow’s jaw drops in shock while Tianna looks dumbstruck.

_ Would you look at that, a little light mage in the Crownguards.  _ Starshadow creeps down my arm. His tail reaches over his eyes to rub them, making sure that he was seeing properly. He is. I can feel in my own magic that something warm, bright, and happy is there. My magic isn’t alone in that butterfly. 

_ She’s going to be the bridge between the non magicals and the mages.  _ The thought appears out of nowhere. But I find it incredibly true.

_ How can you tell? _

_ I can feel it. She is from both worlds. She can understand where each side is coming from. Starshadow, can you make a note to visit her when she realizes she’s a mage? _

_ Until then, perhaps we can help disguise her magic?  _ Starshadow suggests.

“Luxanna, that’s a very pretty butterfly you have there.” I coax her. She beams as she carefully walks over to me. The butterfly’s wings open and close, becoming brighter and brighter. I make it flutter to my hand. Luxanna whines a little bit when it leaves, but doesn’t ask it to come back. She goes to play with other animals I create. Little birds, poros, all sorts of light animals appear in my room. Garen stands nearby, though with each animal that makes Luxanna laugh, he loosens up. His arm lifts slightly as an eagle from Targon cries out and swoops by. I take notice and wave my fingers behind my back, guiding it back to Garen. It dives back to Garen. He jolts when it hovers right in front of him. He tentatively offers an arm. It lands on him as gently as possible before opening its wings as wide as possible. More colors flow from its wings. Garen seems almost hypnotized by the animal as he reaches out to stroke it’s light feathers.

“It’s… so warm and soft.” Garen mumbles quietly. A smile tugs at my lips as I cause the eagle to nuzzle the boy. Garen’s entire body relaxes, amazed by the feeling of warmth and happiness in him. 

Starshadow raises his head and takes over the illusion. Somehow, he manages a whistle. All the animals I have created return back to my palm. I don’t pay much attention to the magic that returned to my hand or the fact that there’s more sweat on my brow and my core is struggling to keep up with all the magic I just performed after being drained, more intrigued how he managed to make his mouth work to whistle before shaking my head. He can use illusions just like I can, he just prefers to be lazy. He’s still my bonded that I love. We share the same core, but we have our own skills. Two halves of the same coin. 

“...was that magic?” Garen asks. There’s a hesitancy in his voice. I internally wince. I might have changed his world too fast for him. I carefully fall onto my knees so I can look at both kids on a more even ground, even if Garen is already taller than me.

“That is one kind of magic.”

“There are more kinds?’ Luxanna is hopping from foot to foot.

“There are many as each person who uses magic has their own unique way of presenting it. I’m a healer on top of an illusion mage. Starshadow-”

“Isn’t your name Starshadow?” Garen interrupts, confused. Tianna crosses her arms across her chest, but doesn’t interrupt. It appears I’ve made her curious about the magic I have in my body as much as I have intrigued her niece and nephew.

“No. I’m just Leilah, like I asked you to call me when we first met. Starshadow is my bonded.” I gently pick Starshadow up from my neck. He raises himself up as proudly as possible. “He’s a celestial that chose to go on an adventure with me.”

“He’s beautiful. Is he like the animals you made before?” Luxanna asks while reaching out to pet him.

“I’m far superior to them, Luxanna.” Starshadow squawks. Garen and Luxanna both jump when Starshadow speaks. Luxanna actually ducks behind Garen from the surprise. Starshadow shrinks down. “Sorry.”

“It can speak?” Garen asks. He glances at me when he asks. I guess he finally notices that I don’t exactly have the most normal of appearances, though I don’t blame him. From a afar, I can still look very normal. “What’s wrong with your eyes and hair?”

“These are my normal eyes and hair. I was using an illusion so you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, but I decided that you guys should understand that magic isn’t scary. It can be beautiful, kind, and exciting. It can help as much as it can hurt. Unfortunately, much of this country fears magic for what it can do to hurt them. They don’t consider what it can do to help them.” I look slightly pointedly at Lady Tianna. She blushes a little bit and relaxes. 

“Back to me!” Starshadow protests a little bit. I shake my head in amusement, though he does his job well. He successfully got the entire group distracted. Luxanna reaches out carefully, hovering over his head. Starshadow immediately reaches up and lets her pet him. She makes a noise in her throat, kind of like an excited scream but quiet, as she strokes his scales. I carefully shift my bonded onto her hand. She’s enchanted by Starshadow’s dot.

“Garen, look.” She gently carries Starshadow over to her brother. Garen leans down a little bit to entertain his sister. “He’s so sweet.”

“Wasn’t he bigger before?” Garen asks as he reaches out to touch him. Starshadow widens his hood to better let Garen feel his scales.

“I can be bigger, I can be smaller. Personally, I prefer the size that lets me rest comfortably on Leilah’s shoulders. There are times when I have to get really big to protect people, but I like being small.”

“Can you show us?” Luxanna asks.

“Certainly. Just… wait…” Starshadow crawls up her arm and down her body. She laughs as he accidentally tickles her. He drops the last bit from her waist to the ground before turning to me. “Would you be ok lying on the bed?”

“Of course.” I do as he asks, making sure I’m comfortable. The pull on my core feels as immense as Starshadow is. Garen and Luxanna gasp in shock.  _ Now they show the proper respect to a celestial. _

_ You’re… crushing… me…  _

_ Hold on a little bit, Luxanna is trying to climb on me. _

“Luxanna!” Tianna’s sharp voice cuts in. After a moment, the crushing feeling is gone. I slowly pull myself back up. Luxanna has made herself small in the face of her aunt’s displeasure. “You are a growing young lady! Young ladies do not climb.”

“It’s alright, Lady Tianna. I’m perfectly happy for her to explore her passions.” Starshadow chirps. He’s back on Luxanna, though this time he’s wrapped around her shoulders. She wiggles her body slightly before bowing her head to her aunt.

“May I go tell Dad that Lady Leilah is awake?” Luxanna asks.

“Why don’t you and Garen go. Lady… Leilah and I have to have a proper discussion.” Lady Tianna dismisses them.

“Can I bring Starshad with me?” She asks. I cover my mouth at her butchering of my bonded’s name. Starshadow’s hood almost completely disappears. He’s a little annoyed that when she was calling me Lady, she got my name right, but screwed his up.

“It’s still Starshadow, Luxanna.” Starshadow pouts. She repeats it carefully. When Starshadow gives her his approval she beams. Garen opens the door and lets Luxanna race out. He waits a moment. Both Tianna and I look at him curiously as he turns back, a little bit shy.

“Would it… be ok if I come back and ask you things about magic?” Garen hesitates before letting it spill out of his mouth. A smile graces my lips.

“I’ll answer questions about my magic. Other magics, you’ll have to ask Starshadow. He has a better understanding of them than I do.” I encourage him. He gives me a small smile before leaving to follow his sister. Once again, I’m left alone with Tianna. 

“...Why did you do that?” Tianna asks me. I tilt my head to the right.

“Why did I do what?” 

“Why were you kind? You have magic that can change perceptions. Why didn’t you make me out to be a monster?” Tianna clarifies. I let my head fall back a little bit in understanding.

“You aren’t a monster. You’re their family.” I answer truthfully. Tianna sits down in a chair with a hand on her head.

“You could have changed their minds about magic and it’s mages. You could have made normal humans villains. Why didn’t you?” Tianna can’t quite seem to grasp that I don’t want to cause her harm.

“How would that help? When they grow up, they’ll either hate mages or their family for trying to control their perceptions. I don’t want them to be afraid or angry at either party.” I explain myself. My revelation is still fresh in my head. I truly do not want them to fear anyone. It doesn’t help in the slightest. Though with that reasoning, I should not be afraid of Bilgewater… Maybe I can convince Starshadow to take me back. This time we’ll be more prepared. I have better control over my magic afterall. Though… that can wait until later… maybe… a few decades from now… That sounds like a good idea.

“But they should be afraid! We can’t fight magic without help.” Tianna persists.

“But that’s the thing! Why not try to understand your fellow person, one that can use magic?” 

“Because they will hold it over you! They will stand in power because who can challenge them?” Tianna snarks.

“I would never hold my magic over you! Partially because if I do so, there’s a chance that I’ll still get injuries so I have to help, but-”

“You can control how Garen and Luxanna can see the world they live in! That’s the power you hold over them!” Tianna snaps and stands up. She stalks towards me and brandishes her weapon. She points it at my chest. “You hold us in your hand and you can manipulate us all. I’m sure your sickness was just an illusion.”

I’m very taken aback by her behaviour. Does she really hate magic that much? It’s not a curse or a disease. I could never do anything to hurt anyone, but Starshadow… Maybe she does have a point… Though this aggression is too much for a normal person…

“What have I done to you?” I demand instead. Tianna is taken aback at me standing up to her.

“Mages took my parents away. You are no different from them.” She spits at me before turning around and walking out the door. She gives me one last glare. “I’m going to keep my eye on you. I’ll find a way to prove to Pieter that you are not what you claim you are. And you will get your comeuppance.” The door slams behind her.

My legs just so happen to give out on me just then, so I slump against the bed. My legs still tremble, so I slide down to the ground. That… did not end how I wished it would. And that’s also not a good sign for things to come. Demacia’s cycle is too enriched in it’s hatred and fear, by the action of Tianna. I know she was just as intrigued by my magic as the children. I hold my head in my hands.  _ Is it even possible for me to help the mages of this country? It looks… hopeless.  _ A few tears fall down my cheeks. I wipe them away to the best of my ability.  _ Can I actually help Demacia if they are so set in their own ways? _

A sudden knock at my door pulls me out from my musings. I do my best to get to my feet, though my body is a little bit slow to respond. My stomach is aching. I wince when I remember Daamien’s orders to take it easy. I should really listen to him more…

“Come in!” I call out. The door opens to admit the other woman of the household. Lady Augatha immediately notices my position on the ground and gracefully runs over to me. She checks my forehead. I blink my eyes open. I guess I’m more tired than I realized. I should probably get back into the bed. I press against the furniture in an effort to get back on my feet, though it doesn’t work.

“What happened?” She asks fretfully. She carefully helps me to sit on the bed. I’m panting from the effort. “Your eyes, hair…”

“Took down my illusion… these are my normal looks.” 

“Oh. Well… It’s beautiful.” She murmurs. She gestures to the door. A maid comes in with a bowl of water and a few towels. Lady Augatha picks up a small towel and dips it in the water. She brings it to my forehead afterwards. It’s cool against my forehead. I sigh in bliss. A couple of servants look uneasily at me before bowing their heads. Their hands are trembling. I notice that one of their hands is wrapped in bandages. I do my best to reach out and touch the hand.

“What happened to you?” I gasp out. The servant lifts her head up before looking back down.

“I-i-it’s nothing, Lady Starshadow. Just a small cut from my son getting careless.” She tries to excuse herself. Lady Augatha grabs the servant's hand and turns it over. There’s a small red stain leaking through her bandage.

“Bridget… Why didn’t you say you were hurt?” Lady Augatha chastises the woman. The servant’s eyes water a little bit as she bows her head.

“My lady, my son needs the money to go to school. I can’t afford a day off.” The woman cries. I blink through my exhaustion and sit up. The room spins for a little bit before I shake my head clear. 

“Let me see it.” I ask. Bridget holds out her injured hand to me. Lady Augatha watches as I untie her injury. We all recoil as the smell. She’s still leaking blood, but it’s also bright red and white on the edge of the cut. I accidentally brush against one of the white bags and it breaks. Green pus leaks from the open sore. Bridget whimpers.

“Bridget, it’s infected. This needs to be treated immediately.” Lady Augatha grabs her hand.

“There isn’t enough money.” Bridget falls to her knees at this point. It’s clear to see that she’s despairing. I ignore her tears and call on my magic. It brightens in my hand. “L-l-lady Starshadow? You’re a mage?”

“Not the time.” I mumble. Bridget whimpers and yanks her hand back, but my magic has already started it’s work. Though, when she yanks it back, a similar injury, though not infected appears on my own. I sag a little bit as my magic flails a little bit. It’s as bewildered as I am, though mine is more from exhaustion than surprise.

“Lady Augatha, she’s-”

“A magic user, Pieter told me. He also told me she is an excellent healer and she’s cursed with suffering injuries of others.” Augatha firmly states. She grabs my hand and forces my palm up. I blink little black spots away to see Bridget compare our hands. My palm is in a little bit of pain. My injury hasn’t healed enough to prevent bleeding, so it’s a bit deep. Bridget presses a finger deep into my palm. I hiss from the pain and try to yank out my hand. Bridget doesn’t let go, like she’s making sure that it’s an actual injury. “Bridget!”

“Are you sure she isn’t faking it, my Lady?” Bridget demands, ignoring the fact that I’m now writhing in pain and struggling to get free. My magic responds in that moment, grabbing Bridget’s hand and yanking it off. Tears flow down my face as I cradle my hand against my chest.

“Your hand is partially healed, is it not? Let the girl finish, then get out. You’ll be lucky I don’t fire you for the disrespect you’ve shown a champion!” Augatha snaps. Bridget huffs before letting me touch her again. Less than ten seconds later, both of our hands are healed. Augatha carefully pulls me back into the bed while Bridget bows her head. The lady of the house tends to me, carefully tucking me back into bed. My eyes are definitely heavy right not. “Now leave this house.”

“M-m-my Lady?” Bridget’s slowly dimming voice sounds terrified.

“I said if you were lucky. She has been nothing but kind. Luxanna informed me of the kindness she’s shown them. She has never attempted to harm another. You, on the other hand, took the chance to harm her. Even then, she did not retaliate and finished healing you. You’re fired. Leave!” Augatha barks. Bridget gives a soft sob as she bows her head.

“You shouldn’t… have done that…” I whisper. Bridget’s sobs hiccup as she listens to us.

“I will not tolerate disrespect to a distinguished person like yourself.” Augatha protests.

“It’s… ok… I’ve been… through… worse.” I murmur as I once again drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho, boy. This one is a bit of a doozy. She's officially met Tianna, stern tough woman. She's truly interracted with Lux and Garen. I use a lot of Luxanna's because Lux hasn't asked to be called Lux yet. She's met Augatha and she's choosing to be an open mage. As she does have protection from the king, it's alright, but this is where you can see the open dislike for mages, in both the wealthy and the lower class. Seems like Leilah's going to try to turn an entire country's head around, though it won't happen in a day. She can only try to get the ball rolling.
> 
> One of you lovely reviewers asked why Leilah hasn't fought against Noxus yet. Daamien, while a war healer, is also feeling responsible for her. There is always trouble in some form or another, so he picks what he thinks would definitely be trouble for Leilah, but not too hard for her. That and Noxians are single minded in their quest to rule the world. Doubt and confusion are not exactly part of their strong suits. Don't worry, though. If you guys know your timelines, we're only a year or two out from the beginning of the Ionian war. She's definitely going to be heavily involved with them, eventually going to both sides because war is draining to all. I actually feel awful for Leilah, as I am definitely going to make her question which side she should be on.
> 
> I love to see some more reviews, hint hint. I really enjoy reading what you guys think about my work. It inspires me to write better every single time, and little things that you bring up, like not seeing Noxus, just makes me think more about what story I can best give you guys. 
> 
> With that. I shall see you on thursday, until then, my usual yet slightly different send off. You are all amazing people, may the days between today and thursday be a good extraordinary times to you all.


	53. Kindness and Madness

_ Feeling better?  _ Starshadow wakes me up with nudges. I groan awake to see his rather large head right in my face. I yelp and lean backwards. Unfortunately, I go too far, falling onto the ground. The blankets that I yank with me thankfully cushions my fall. Starshadow laughs loudly in my head as he peers over the corner. His mouth cracks into a smile as he looks down at my misery.  _ Feels like you are. _

_ That hurt. Why did you jump scare me today?  _ I moan as I bring myself to stand. Just then, there’s a timid knock on my door. Starshadow’s head snaps to attention.

_ Because you really need to be on your toes while you sleep. Ashe was good at that. You sleep way too well, especially since you might be waking up in worse conditions. So, is Brat here again?  _ Starshadow snorts. I roll my eyes at his name for her. I can’t fault him for being like that since she did cause me pain, but he needs to stop holding a grudge. 

_ Be nice Starshadow.  _ I order as I make my way to the door. I open it to see the maid that attacked me carrying a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of water. She doesn’t look at me as she brushes by. With a stiff back, she places the tray holding them harshly against the nightstand. She turns around, bows her head, and leaves the room. I sigh as I start to close the door. Bridget has been rather frigid towards me the past two days I’ve been here. 

I’ve fully recovered from the magical drain and the poison. Starshadow says that with all the ‘trials’ I’ve been through, my magic has grown so much that most injuries and poisons would be taken care of easily. Things like decapitation, lack of sleep, starvation, and dehydration can still kill me. It’s good to know for later, but while I’m in the Crownguard household, I do my best to spend time with everyone and showing them that not all mages are out to hurt anyone. Most of my time has been spent regaling Garen and Lux of other countries. They loved to hear about my home and my friends. I have a feeling it’s because of how little magic there is in those stories. Augatha and Pieter have also taken to listening to me. Lux would beg me to use my magic to demonstrate my stories, though with a quick look at Tianna and Garen, I decline as gently as I can. I don’t hide who I am here. I’m trying to show the household that magic isn’t always evil. Lux has taken to it like a duck to water, but the rest are a little uneasy. It’s understandable. They are older and already have set beliefs. I think Pieter accepts my magic because I protected the king and prince, with Augatha following his lead, but Tianna is a little more stubborn. I don’t fault her. In her view, it’s too easy for me to turn her family on her. I would never do that, but… she doesn’t believe I would. I’ve never been alone with the children if she can help it.

Pieter and Augatha are informed of Luxanna’s gift. They both demanded that I show them her magic. I coaxed her into brightening a butterfly again. She excitedly showed her parents. Unfortunately, her magic reacted far greater than we expected. Before, the magic dissipated as Starshadow dismissed it. This time, we let her hold onto it longer. She was oblivious to the heat she was generating though the butterfly. The more excited she got, the brighter my illusion. Eventually the light beams coming out of my magic was creating burns in the walls. Starshadow quickly resolved the situation by copying the light bubbly magic and helping it calm down. I really want to see if I can do that on my own. Pieter dismissed his little girl to study while he and Augatha determined what the best course of action would be. In the end, it was decided that Tianna would remain ignorant of Lux’s abilities and Lux would study more as a method of getting her to not excite her magic so much. Personally, I don’t agree with this, but there isn’t much I can do. All I can really do is be available for when she realizes she’s a mage.

Bridgit holds the same views as Tianna. She hates me for helping her keep her job. I sigh. She thinks that I can dismiss her from her job, so she hasn’t lashed out at me. It makes me a little uneasy to be around her. She reminds me of Grena. The only difference is that she believes that I am untouchable. To Grena, I was a friend of her child, one that made her daughter stand up and smile. I was approachable. Well, I was until Starshadow made us leave. Bridgit probably is terrified to speak out of turn. That or she really wants to tear into me, but she won’t risk her family.

“Thank you, Bridgit.” I thank her as politely as I can. She huffs as she leaves. I have to say, that’s progress. Last time I stated my gratitude, she gave me an icy stare. Still, I wish she would actually decide to talk to me.

_ Still trying to be nice? You know that if she thought she could kill you, she would try.  _ Starshadow snorts. I change into the newest set of clothes left out to reform into my normal blue dress and leggings. I finish my look with a scarf wrapped around my neck.

_ Doesn’t hurt to be nice, Starshadow. Think of it as a test to see if we can change Demacia one day.  _ I offer an arm for him to climb up. He accepts it. I leave the room to see Tianna and Bridgit waiting outside. Bridget is looking concerned while Tianna has the same stern face as she always does. Both of them notice me at the same time. Bridgit quickly bows her head. Tianna remains standing tall.

“Pieter wants to see you. He said something about a criminal being brought into the kingdom?” Tianna alludes to Sylas. My eyes widen.

“Where is he?” 

“In the study. I will escort you.” Tianna starts to lead the way. I look over to see Bridgit with a bit of a sad face. Starshadow growls lowly in his throat.

_ Something’s up.  _

_ I don’t know. What is the worst they can do? _

_ I don’t like it. At all.  _ Starshadow mumbles.

_ Don’t worry so much.  _ I reach up to pat Starshadow’s head as we follow Tianna. She leads us to another room where Pieter and Augatha look like they’re studying papers. Pieter sits behind the desk while Augatha is perched on one of the two chairs in front of him. Tianna clears her throat to get their attention. Pieter looks up to see us. He stands up and looks like he’s about to speak, but he notices Tianna. His mouth opens and closes with uncertainty before he looks to his wife. Augatha nods, understanding his silent request.

“This is a private conversation, Tianna.” Augatha says clearly as she stands up. Tianna’s face somehow manages to get colder, but she leaves with the Lady of the House. They close the door behind us. Once they are gone, Pieter relaxes a bit and shuffles through the papers before he finds what he wants and hands it to me. I look at him carefully before taking the paper and reading it. Starshadow hisses in annoyance while I feel blood drain from my face.

“How?” I whisper.

“Bridget’s job is in extreme peril now.” Pieter almost snarls under his breath. I let the paper go, a poorly drawn image of me and Starshadow on the front paper. They make me look like I’m trying to kill someone. I mean, Starshadow might try, but I never would. The report underneath is bringing up the fact that I have magic and am also under the protection of the Lightshields. It questions if I should even be allowed to be free with the power I have. Granted, I do have that power, but it’s not as dramatic as she thinks. I don’t constantly use my magic. 

“I… I don’t... “ I stammer a little bit. Now everyone knows what I look like. Even if I look like a murderer, they have my description of starry hair and multicolored eyes.

“Do not worry about that. From what you say, you aren’t in a country for long before you go somewhere else to help. At least mageseekers will be aware of who you are. No, I asked you here to tell me what I should do with the servant that ratted you out.” Pieter sounds rather cold and angry. I drop the paper and blink in confusion.

“I’m sorry? Could you-”

“He wants you to decide her fate as you are the offended party.” Starshadow sounds exasperated. I shoot him a soft glare for interrupting me. Pieter waves a hand to my bonded with a nod. 

“What?” I squawk. I can’t help it. I just freeze. I’m not someone who has usually been in positions of power. I’m just a little farm girl that was chosen to be a champion. I take a shaky seat, taking the chair that Augatha had just vacated. It’s a little overwhelming to say the least.  _ What do I decide? _

_ That’s easy. You should let the woman lose her job. Next question?  _ Starshadow yawns.

_ It’s not. I really don’t think I should be in charge of that. Especially with how much she dislikes me because of the fact that I helped her keep her job.  _ I counter.

_ Yeah, you gave her a chance, and she betrayed that. Consequences, Leilah. Much like how you ran away from help? The Kinkou Order and Grena?  _ Starshadow retorts.

_ But that means her son won’t be able to get an education.  _

_ Should have thought of that before.  _ Starshadow has no patience for anyone who would hurt me.

_ You know that I would continue to make mistakes like that, right?  _ I deadpan in my head.

_ Yeah, but you’ll learn and grow from it.  _

_ She can learn too. _

_ No way. She’s too ingrained into the beliefs of Demacia.  _ Starshadow snorts and nudges my neck.  _ Let it go. _

_ But that could make things so much worse.  _

_ Leilah, you are the sweetest, kindest person I know, but sometimes you have to do the right thing, even when it’s hard. Let her lose her job.  _

_ You forgive me often enough. _

_ That’s different. You are my bonded. You are the source of my life, not to mention you house my two favorite beings. You’re also family, so I can forgive you as many times as I want, even if I think you put yourself in too much danger sometimes. Everyone else, they have one chance to prove that you are safe. They don’t get a second one. Now, hush. I’m going to do the right thing for the two of us.  _ Starshadow opens his mouth to speak for us, but I cut him off.

“Could you bring her here, please?” I speak up. Pieter raises an eyebrow before going to the door. Innocent little Lux yelps a bit as she tumbles into Pieter’s study. Pieter just stares at the girl before sighing.

“Lux, you really need to stop trying to eavesdrop.” Pieter kneels down to look at his little girl in the eyes. She gives the biggest puppy dog eyes imaginable. I’m impressed that Pieter manages to stand firm. I’ve fallen victim to that face more times than I can count, playing with her without magic

“But, Dad, Garen’s saying he wants to leave for the army! He’s only twelve!” Lux protests. Pieter sighs and kneels down to look her in her eyes.

“We’ll talk about this later, sweetheart. Right now, can you go find Bridget?” Pieter asks. Lux’s head nods quickly and she bounces away. She calls out for the maid as Pieter closes the door. He turns around and looks at me carefully. “Why do you want to call her?”

“I want to know what her story is.”

_ WHAT?  _ Starshadow screams in my mind. I wince and rub my ears. It might be in my mind, but I swear my ears are ringing.

_ I want to know her issue with me. How are we going to decide if her actions are too much?  _

_ Oh, sure. Let’s go ask Khada Jhin about why he was killing everyone. He was merely trying to make his victims into art. That’s a great reason, let him keep killing people!  _ Starshadow sarcastically rants in my mind.

_ That’s different. That’s a selfish reason, wanting to display his art. What about Bridget? She might be trying to give her son an education, to protect her country.  _ I try to point out.

_ Oh, hell no. She’s outed us in Demacia. Now either we’re going to be cruelly attacked because we’re commoners in a bunch of royal people, or we’re going to be attacked for being magical beings. Do tell me, which outcome would you rather figure out how to fight? _

_ It could also help people look at mages differently. I don’t like this anymore than you do, but maybe it’ll help mages here. You said we’re the Aspect of Hope, well the mages here could use a little hope that things can get better for them. _

_...I hate that we are the ones that have to be that.  _ Starshadow sighs.  _ Fine. We do this your way, but I get the right to react how I want. Deal? _

_ Don’t we always do that? _

_ I’m making sure you know that way when you think I go overboard, which I probably will, I’m not going to get a rant. _

“Are you certain you wish to speak with her? Augatha reported the cruelty she did to you.” Pieter asks. I jump a little bit as Pieter took a bit of time to return to his desk and go over different sheets while I was conversing with Starshadow.

“I’m sure.” I state. Pieter nods his head before his eyes light up. He quickly scans his documents for something when he grabs another piece of paper. 

“The mageseekers that have Sylas will be arriving soon. One or two days tops. The king is asking for a trial to happen, though we don’t know where to hold it. We can’t hold it in the palace, you don’t have the best of reactions to petricite, but we can’t be out in High Silvermore as if the boy is found guilty, we would have to travel to the Great City. If there are mages that are looking to kidnap you, they are bound to go after him.” Pieter presses a hand against his forehead. He looks very stressed out. Especially since there are bags under his eyes. I stand up and cross around behind him. I press a finger into the side of his temple. He lets out a sigh as my magic floods the pounding area, even if a little sweat appears on my forehead. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I let go and go back to my seat. Just in time too as the door opens once again. Lux is pulling Bridget’s arm into Pieter’s study. Bridget is smiling and humoring the girl until she notices where she is. Once her eyes land on me, she stiffens.

“Daddy, I got Bridget!” She chirps happily. Pieter smiles softly at the girl.

“Thank you, Lux. I have to talk with Bridget for a moment. Why don’t you go and find out what dessert the kitchens are preparing for tonight?” Pieter tempts his daughter. Lux squeals in happiness and runs out of the room. Bridget stands uncomfortably in the doorway.

“Lady Luxanna said you wanted to see me?” She whispers. Pieter nods.

“Come here.” He orders and gestures toa second seat. She shoots me a hateful glare as she takes a seat. Pieter takes notice and straightens up. Starshadow’s scales also dig into my neck a little bit.

_ Stand up. And go stand behind Pieter. You outrank her. She can not look at you like that.  _ Starshadow barks. His hood bumps into my cheek.

_ Star- _

_ Go.  _ Starshadow barks. I subtly sigh and do as he says. Both Bridget and Pieter look surprised at the action.

_ Are you sure that I should have done that?  _ I ask.

_ Positive.  _ Starshadow is very certain of that. Pieter blinks softly, but looks back to the maid. She’s openly glaring at me. Pieter clears his throat angrily. Bridget takes notice and shrinks a little bit.

“Do you know why you are here?” He demands. Bridget looks uneasy before shaking her head no. “I didn’t hear you.”

“No, sir.” Bridget speaks quietly. Pieter looks like he’s going to make her speak clearly, though I clear my throat. He hears me and doesn’t pursue. 

_ She should have been forced to speak up.  _ Starshadow hisses in my mind. He’s quiet in person.

_ Not worth it.  _ I argue back.

“You are here because you are accused of revealing Lady Leilah to be a new mage under the protection of the king.” Pieter orders. “Is this true?”

“The people deserve to know that a mage is in their midst.” Bridget mumbles.

“They will when the king wants to reveal that information.” Pieter states firmly.

“The king should never have given a mage his protection! She’s worthless!” Bridget snaps furiously. She stands up and leans over his desk and points a harsh finger at me. “She should be in prison! Her and her pet monster.”

_ Monster? Seriously? I’m a tiny, sweet celestial- _

_ Don’t lie. It doesn’t suit you. _

_ But Monster? That hurts my feelings. _

“Even after she healed your hand?” Pieter asks calmly. Bridget doesn’t look at him but continues to glare at me. Starshadow grows long enough so he can reach both my hands easily, though he remains coiled around my neck like a second scarf. His tail thumps against my back softly. Pieter clears his throat, but Bridget won’t look at him.

_ Tiny, huh? _

_ Shut up. _

“She’s put a curse on me for healing me!” Bridget screams, finally looking at the man. Pieter clasps his hands together.

“She is incapable of harming another. Besides, curses are not something we are capable of. Our magic is as straightforward as she is.” Starshadow interrupts. Bridget almost seems to bare her teeth as she glares at Starshadow.

“Of course you would say that.” She spits angrily. “You can change our perception of the world. Lady Tianna mentioned that.”

“She was truly sick there. A non magical doctor would have told you that her spine was damaged and there was poison.” Pieter counters.

“She has you all disillusioned about her! She’ll hurt us all!” Bridget snarls.

“ENOUGH!” Pieter slams his hands into the desk. Bridget squeaks and bends at the waist with her hands in front. Pieter stands up angrily. “She is a guest of mine. That alone should make you respect her. The fact that she even asked you here instead of letting me dismiss you from the household should tell you that-”

“She’s manipulating you, my lord! There’s no way you would ever listen to a diseased person like her otherwise!” Bridget pleads. She grabs a sharp object from his desk and brandishes it at me. “I’ll stop her, sire, and then you’ll see I was right!”

“OVER MY DEAD BODY!” Starshadow drops from my neck onto the ground, fangs bared and hood wide open now. He sways back and forth with Bridget. Even if she’s pale from Starshadow’s new size, the crazed determination in her doesn’t let her stop. “What have we done to hurt you? I truly don’t understand why you are treating us like this!”

“You are just an illusion of hers! She’s too much of a danger!” Bridget snarls. She definitely looks like a crazed animal. “She’s manipulating you all!”

“By that reasoning, wouldn’t I be manipulating you as well to lash out at me?” I ask quietly.

“So you admit it?” She snarls.

“No, I’m just saying you aren’t making much sense. Why would I manipulate you?” I shrink a little bit. Pieter moves to stand between Starshadow and her.

“You are fired, Bridget.” Pieter barks.

“For defending you? My lord, I’ll stop her disease from spreading and you’ll thank me for it!” Bridget surprises Starshadow and Pieter by sinking the weapon into Starshadow’s eye. Starshadow wails in agony and back away. That’s the last straw for me though. I throw out my magic and Bridget stops moving. She screams in frustration, bringing Tianna and Augatha into Pieter’s study. I quickly run over to my bonded and check his injury. His eye is still bleeding.

_ Are you alright? _

_ I’m dying.  _ Starshadow whines. I would have believed him if I didn’t see my magic healing his eye almost instantly. It seems like he’s as timeless as I am.  _ I’m going to die! There’s so much I haven’t managed to eat yet, or seen…  _ He also doesn’t seem to be in pain anymore.

_ You’re not going to die, Starshadow. _

_ I am! I’m going to die and you’ll have to- _

_ You aren’t dying.  _ I roll my eyes at his melodramatic tendencies.

_ No, but you might! Duck!  _ Starshadow lunges past me at the same time I drop under him. His mouth grabs Bridget’s knife. He doesn’t let go as she attempts to swing her arm around. If anything, he lets her actions help him wrap himself around her.

“Stop casting your magic, you diseased creature!” Bridget snarls. Pieter takes the momentary distraction to yank the knife away from her. Tianna dashes in and points her sword at Bridget’s throat. That’s the only time she stops moving. “Lady Tianna! You believe me, don’t you?”

“All I see is a former maid attacking one of the king’s trusted. You are under arrest. You will be taken to the mageseekers to determine if Lady Starshadow is affecting you magically. If you are, I will speak to my brother about reinstating you. If not, you are to never return again.” Tianna decrees. She glances at Pieter. Pieter nods his agreement. 

_ Any magic you used on her? _

_ If there’s any magic picked up, it should be healing and size magic. That’s not even on her, that’s just on me. Now, Leilah. Listen carefully… I want you to take my power and use it for good. Save all the delicious foods… Protect them in your stomach and think of me. _

“Is Starshadow alright?” Pieter asks. Starshadow flops onto the ground like he’s dead.

_ Good bye, cruel world. _

“He’s alright. He won’t even get a scar out of it.” I shake my head in amusement. Starshadow comes back to life ‘magically’ with a pout in his eyes.

“I take the hit for you, get a knife dangerously close to my brain, and I won’t even have a scar? Dammit.” Starshadow curses as he crawls up to my neck.

“Really? One second you are demanding I save food, the next you whine about no scar.” I point out and shake my head. My bonded…

“Take her to the mageseekers headquarters. I want the report to be sent to me as soon as possible.” Pieter barks. Bridget is taken screaming and fighting, though silence descends on the four of us. Augatha stayed nearby. She runs up to me and checks my face. It feels like how Mother would treat me. Tears build up in my eyes.

“You aren’t hurt, are you?” Augatha asks. The tears fall as I shake my head. My breathing starts to become uneasy. “Leilah?”

“I’m sorry.” I hiccup and wipe my tears away. Pieter walks to stand next to Augatha. It’s so much like Mother and Father in Targon that sobs break out of my throat. I drop to my knees, struggling to get myself under control. “I’m s-sorry.”

_ Leilah?  _ Starshadow nuzzles into me.

_ My parents… I miss them.  _ That’s all I need to say. Starshadow moves in understanding before looking at the concerned couple.

“She was just reminded of her parents. She hasn’t seen them in a long time.” Starshadow murmurs.

“How long?” Augatha asks.

“Four years now?” I answer uncertainly. Tears keep pouring out of my eyes no matter how hard I try to stop them. Starshadow rubs his tail against my back. Two hands drop onto my shoulders. I barely have enough time to look up before Augatha pulls me into a hug. I don’t believe it, but I take my chance. I bury my head into her arms and just weep. Augatha is patient as I silently cry into her shoulder.

I don’t know how long I stay like that before I calm down. Everything just came pouring out of me at that moment. Getting tortured, hurt, poisoned, in pain, and attacked, I’ve been too strong. I haven’t had a constant friend for longer than eight months. I’ve counted. And that was with Yone. I want to see my parents. I want to see him. I want to go home. I want peace. I guess this is how Atreus feels, bound to a duty without rest. Next time I see him, I’m going to give him a hug and tell him I understand. Maybe even let him have a shoulder to cry on… even if he’s not the type to cry...

As my tears start to slow down, my embarrassment grows. When I stop crying altogether, I am glowing a soft pink. I gently push against Augatha and wipe my face as quickly as I can. If I apply a bit of magic to clean Augatha’s shoulder and make me more presentable, that’s for me to know… And maybe Pieter and Augatha.

“Thank you.” I mumble. Starshadow snorts and nudges my cheek.

“You needed that, Leilah. There’s no need to apologize.” 

“The only people that should see me break down should be family.” I grumble under my breath.

“From what I hear, you’ve been through quite a lot. More than enough for any one person to handle. You are allowed to melt down.” Augatha murmurs quietly. I keep my sniffle undetected, but I am grateful for her kindness…  _ Wait… _

“How much has Starshadow told you?” I ask shyly.

“Pretty much all of it.” Pieter answers. I groan and plop my head into my hands.

_ Really, Starshadow? Is everyone going to know about my life? _

_ Only the ones I trust.  _ Starshadow replies honestly.

_ You trust them? _

_ Just something about parents. Really, don’t worry about it. I’m a good judge of character. _

_ How would you… you know what? I don’t care.  _

_ That’s a first. _

“Feel better?” Augatha asks softly. I nod before frowning.

“Where did Lady Tianna say she was taking Bridget?” I change the topic.

“The mageseekers have their own place in the city that they operate out of. Why do you ask?” Pieter answers me. I feel my eye light up.

“How much Petricite is there?” I can see Pieter’s own eyes light up in understanding.

“The only Petricite there is in the building, but they have a square that is generally Petricite free. It’s in the city, so if he’s going to be sentenced, then there’s an easy place to transport him, and you should be relatively unaffected.” Pieter mumbles under his breath. He quickly yanks out a sheet of paper and a quill. He inks it and scribbles on the paper before he wraps it up. Augatha looks lovingly at her husband before offering a hand to me. I take it. Starshadow seems to perk up.

Once Pieter’s done, he starts to move quickly out of the study. Augatha and I follow closely behind as he weaves through the manor. We leave the house onto the front porch. Garen and Lux are playing with wood swords, probably Garen’s choice. Pieter gives a shrill whistle, interrupting the two at play. When they see that their father is looking to the sky, Garen drops his sword. Lux turns a little red in annoyance but lets it go in favor of chasing a butterfly courtesy of me. She’s sufficiently distracted. Garen takes notice. He tenses up a little bit, but lets it go. 

“Father?” Garen asks. Pieter gives another sharp whistle. This time there’s an answering cry. I jump a little bit as a beautiful falcon dives over my head. I can feel the wing beats as it flies by me. It circles around us for a moment. It gives a loud cry as it settles onto Pieter’s extended arm carrying two things. One is a letter, the other…

“Flying rat! Let go of me!” Starshadow hisses as he snaps his head forward. The eagle looks unimpressed with Starshadow’s bite attempts. Pieter gently tugs both the letter and my snake out of the eagle’s hand, though the bird of prey does not like his prize being taken away. Pieter hands the letter to Augatha and Starshadow to me before he attaches his own letter to the eagle.

“Take this to the great city.” Pieter orders. He throws the eagle back into the sky. It circles around me for a moment, intent on the black snake in my hands. Starshadow opens his hood and grows in size. The eagle squawks in shock before it actually goes on it’s way.

“That’s right! I could eat you if I wanted to! Run away!” Starshadow crows. I sigh and shake my head before bringing him back to his spot on my neck. Huh. I just noticed that I designated Starshadow a location on me. I didn’t realize just how much I’ve come to enjoy his company until now. I’m pretty sure if I was alone on this journey, I would probably be going crazy from trying to fit in and not knowing cultures. Well, it’s not like Starshadow knows cultures, but at least there’s a second brain helping to pick out details and stuff I might miss.

Augatha opens up the letter the eagle brought. She quickly reads through it. There’s an air of resignation and determination before she smiles at Garen. She offers the letter to Pieter to read. He skims the letter before beaming brightly at his son.

“Congratulations, Son. You’ve been accepted into the army, starting as a squire.” Pieter gives him a big hug. Garen’s smile is brighter than the best borealis I can make. He gives his father a great big hug before going to his mother. She hugs him, though there are obvious tears in her eyes. When he runs over to Lux to share his happy news, I lean towards Augatha.

“Are you alright?” I murmur quietly.

“I’m proud of him, I’m just… I’m going to worry. I’m a mother. Maybe someday you’ll understand.” Augatha tries to explain. I snort softly at that and subtly gesture to my snake, who’s oblivious to our conversation as he’s currently making himself comfy into my scarf, grumbling about rude things that want to eat a magnificent celestial like himself. He’s actually talking out loud. Augatha giggles but she shakes her head. “I doubt Starshadow will ever leave your side.”

“You’re right about that!” Starshadow speaks up clearly before mumbling some more. I laugh a little bit before shrugging my shoulders.

“What’s it like?”

“That a small person that you’ve watched their entire lives is now leaving. It’s heartbreaking but prideful at the same time. I know that I have to let him go off, but I remember him as a small baby, and I want to protect him from the world.” Augatha tries to explain. Pieter walks over and wraps an arm around her. Apparently it’s not a common occurrence as she looks at him surprised.

“I know the feeling.” Starshadow speaks up. He slips his head out just enough so he’s visible. He nuzzles against my cheek. “Someone came into your life full of innocence, then you have to watch them make their own decisions. They take choices that may force you to separate, and you have to trust them to be able to take care of themselves. They’ll suffer, fail, and get back on their feet on their own. With each new trial, big or small, they grow, better, stronger, smarter. They become someone that you knew they could be, and you hope that they will always want you around as you worry that whatever they learn, they’ll forget their beginnings.”

It’s complete silence as Starshadow finishes. Augatha and Pieter are shocked that Starshadow could possibly understand. I’m shocked that Starshadow knew what it feels like to be a parent. He used to call himself my babysitter, but maybe he’s found himself caring about me more than any of us can imagine.

“Do you know how they feel?” Augatha asks quietly.

“We won’t forget who brought us so far. I still miss my family and friends, but I remember the lessons they taught me to keep going. I’m sure Garen will never forget how much his family loves him and what they’ve taught him.” I answer instead as I am the child in this group. Augatha wipes a few tears from her face and smiles at me. Pieter reaches out and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Thank you, Leilah.” That’s all he needs to say. I smile and turn to look at the siblings. Garen is happily entertaining Lux with tales of what he’ll do. Lux is happily listening to him. It’s… peaceful. I’m sure if I had a sibling, this is how I would feel when they have a family. It’s lovely. Garen darts back to the porch.

“Dad?”

“Yes, son?”

“When can I go to the military?”

“We can drop you off while Leilah and I go attend a criminal’s trial.” Pieter pats his son’s head. I jolt at the reminder.

“How long will it be until the trial?” I interrupt.

“We’ll have to wait for a reply.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, now there's a definite line between those that are willing to listen to her, to actually hear her, and those that are too ingrained with their beliefs to consider any other possibility. It's nice to see there are some people in Demacia willing to stand up for a mage, even if it's not the reason they want. It's also going to be interesting to see if the Aspects of Inspiration can really change a nation's mind, especially since the trial of the century is coming.
> 
> So, who's your favorite? Starshadow or Leilah? I'll be honest, I wasn't even thinking about Starshadow being a character until I had the image of the two of them created. Originally, Starshadow was going to be a figment of Leilah's imagination as Daamien's way of communicating. Just a floating being, but then I thought, 'Leilah could really use a constant companion her age.' and Starshadow was born. He's one of my favorite to write as comic relief when things get too tense. When I'm too stressed, I just think, What would Starshadow say? and I just feel better. I hope you guys who have been reading this much also think of Starshadow when life gets too rough and you need something to make you smile.
> 
> As I will always end the chapter, I hope you are having an extraordinary day. Just remember, when things get hard, keep your chin up. Keep being amazing. You're alive, so make the most of it.


	54. First Minds Changed

It’s been a week since Pieter sent his message to the capital. A day after he sent his message he received a reply, stating that Sylas of Dregbourne was brought into mageseeker custody and would be on trial the next week due to there being ‘extenuating circumstances’. Those circumstances being that I was there and I survived to tell the tale. The entire week we were waiting, Augatha insisted on having me learn how to be a ‘high class lady of Demacia’. Today, we’ll be heading back to the capital. It should be a rather short four hour ride. I was tempted to offer transportation, but then I remembered that Demacia really did not like mages. It’s one thing to be a magic user if I’m not a mage, it’s another to openly display it. So, by carriage we’ll go. Well, two carriages actually. Tianna will be sitting with me, while Garen and his parents will be in another carriage.

“Now remember, you are silent unless spoken too. Unless a Lady is the head of her house, she will follow the request of the man of the house. Right now, you are our guest, so you would defer to Pieter.” Augatha rambles a little bit, fussing over me. Personally, I find the expectations of women here, of being beautiful and gentle is silly. I have my own thoughts and opinions. Part of why Sylas is getting a trial is because I’m speaking up. Besides, women are just as capable as men. Father taught me that. But, learning how to interact with ‘high class’ people in their customs probably won’t hurt me that much.

Lux begged to come along, but since she is unaware of her mage talents, Augatha and Pieter felt safer leaving her at home. She was consoled a bit by being told how much of a big girl she’s being by watching over the house by herself, even if everyone knew that the servants won’t let things get too out of hand. I haven’t been here long, but it’s pretty obvious how much accidental trouble Lux can get into. It’s a good thing that her tutors will be watching over her while we’re gone. 

“Are you ready?” Augatha asks me as Tianna helps me into a carriage. I catch a glimpse of four men going to accompany us by riding the back of the carriage as I almost trip over the weight on my feet. Starshadow, in all of his wisdom, insisted that I wear a cleaner, finer version of my usual clothes. I’m still wearing my light blue dress, though it’s much softer. There’s also a bit of gold armor on my shoulders and wrapped around my waist and wrists. My boots have also changed into the same gold metal as the decoration on my dress, which is what caused me to trip. Starshadow ties my hair back in a braid. 

“Remind me again why I’m wearing this?” I ask.

“Because you are a declared protector of the king and you have to be seen like one, not to mention this is our way of publicly declaring you are under our protection.” Tianna answers me crisply. 

“I’m not trying to conform to a specific image. Besides, I don’t just help the king, I help everyone.” I try to point out.

“How about this, you have to be seen as a higher ranking person so the people who are conducting the trial will see you as a reliable and trustworthy source instead of a fellow mage attempting to get him free?” Starshadow deadpans. Tianna gestures to Starshadow in agreement.

“...Fine I relent as I take a seat. The door closes. She takes a seat right as the carriage starts to move. I still haven’t gotten used to it and yelp when I’m almost thrown off my seat. Tianna watches me as I recover. I sigh. “ I guess you still don’t like me?”

“Bridget’s results are awaiting our arrival. I’m withholding judgement until then.” Tianna sniffs. It’s silent in the carriage with only the occasional bump. I fidget with my hands a little bit, unsure of what I can talk about with her. What can you say to a well-respectable person?

“Um, you must be proud of your nephew.” I mumble out. Tianna raises an eyebrow, keeping her hands stiffly in her lap.

“It is what was expected of him.” She attempts to dismiss the topic.

“That doesn’t stop you from being proud. I was expected to learn how to farm, but my parents still told me how proud they were of me when I help.” I point out. She blinks before relaxing a bit.

“Yes, I am proud of my nephew. Much like when he was a small child. Pieter has always given him the training he asks for. Personally, I think he’s a bit spoiled.” Tianna allows a small smile to crack on her face. 

“How so?” Seeing that this is a conversation that Tianna’s comfortable with, I jump on it.

“Well, Pieter would always play spar with Garen or tell stories of his accomplishments like they are fanciful stories. He’d act them out, making himself the villain and Garen the hero. With each story, he’d always proclaim Garen to be the hero Demacia needs.” Tianna sighs.

“That’s not exactly a bad thing. Garen grows up to fight for Demacia. It’s an honor for him.” 

“It could be. The crown of stones, did you not hear stories about that?” Tianna changes the subject. Sort of. “Did that not change your perception of the world?”

It takes me a moment to think about it. Starshadow’s cold nose gently taps my neck. In some ways, I was a sheltered child. I never heard a bad story in my life. But when Pantheon told me his story, the world didn’t change that much. If anything, it made me more curious to learn more stories. Then I was chosen as an Aspect and suddenly, I’m living so many different stories. I learn different cultures and what they prioritize and their tales. I’m living a tale. And the world hasn’t changed. I’ve changed from a shy, sick farmer girl to a healer and guide. Well, still working on the healing and guiding part, but I’m changing. It hasn’t changed a single goal of mine. If anything, I’m more determined now. And I have the means to protect others where I couldn’t before.

“I did hear stories of it. Some of them have… discoloured my perception of some stories I grew up with, but my hopes and dreams, who I am, isn’t that much different. I’m sure once Garen has seen his first battle, he’ll have a choice to make. To continue to fight for Demacia or find a different thing for Demacia. Either way, he’ll be loyal to his home.” I try to make her feel better. It works as Tianna’s hands unfold. 

“...Perhaps you would make a good ally for them.” Tianna comments. The silence in the carriage is much more relaxed now. I look out the window to see us travelling along a dirt road with high hills next to us. Starshadow’s head emerges from my scarf and looks out the window. A quick flash of light in my eye makes me frown. 

_ Did you see that?  _ I ask my bonded. 

_ See what?  _

I guess it’s my imagination. Especially since the rest of the trip, no one interrupts us. Tianna and I ride the carriage in silence. Still, I’m a little uneasy. There are assassins in Demacia after all, those that use magic. And right now, I’m the only one who could have survived it. It’s concerning to say the least.

It will take hours before we reach the city. Tianna senses my unease and engages me with a little talk about her nephew, as it’s obvious that I have a fondness for young children. She regales me with silly stories of Garen getting in trouble or how sweet of a baby Luxanna was. It makes the ride more relaxing, though every time I look out the window, I swear I see someone there. Eventually, I can’t take it anymore. I cast my illusions, making an illusion of myself and Starshadow. I make sure she and the other men around the carriage do not notice that I hop out. I can easily catch up to them with my magic anyway, though I don’t want to over do it. 

_ Where the hell are we going?  _ Starshadow perks up when he notices that we’re running away from our ride.

_ I’m going to just scout around. _

_ You have fully recovered from being poisoned, but we haven’t worked on any endurance magic training, not to mention that all this is completely new to your wild core. Especially with illusions as complex as the ones you are making! You’re going to completely exhaust yourself!  _ Starshadow immediately protests.

_ Yeah, I know. I can feel it.  _ I snark back. I’m not lying. My face is covered in sweat from the effort, and my legs are feeling like grass in the wind, but if I really did see something, I don’t want to wait. Garen and Augatha are no warriors, they would be in trouble. I need to stop it before it reaches them.  _ Just five minutes. If I can last being in the middle of True Ice for a week, I’m pretty sure I can handle five minutes of actually using magic. _

_ I hope you know that you are going to be in so much trouble when you get back. I’m going to be ranting all about it later.  _ Starshadow promises angrily. I am about to nod when I dash over a hill and crash into a human. We both yelp as we fall over each other. I feel a pulse of poison sink into my body before it’s immediately erased. Still, it’s enough to set me on edge. Starshadow as well, as he enlarges himself and lashes out with an open mouth and bared fangs. The mage yelps and backs away.

“Who are you and what do you want with me!” I yelp as I scramble to my feet. Being poisoned again brings back some bad memories. Two more appear before us. The spear and the dagger. All three point their weapons at my bonded, though the one with the dagger, the earth mage I believe, easily recognises me.

“Stand down, my brothers.” He orders. The spear and bowmen both lower their weapons. He also drops his dagger and shows his hands. “You are a mage, are you not?”

“Kind of? I wasn’t born with magic if that’s what you're asking.” I try to be stong, though my hands are shaking. Tears start to fall from my eyes. The poison mage terrifies me. I almost died from him. What if he tries something again? Starshadow’s head turns slightly. He notices my face and lunges forward towards the most dangerous one.

“BACK OFF!” Her hisses furiously.

“I accidently put poison into her. Please, let me help her!” The bowman pleads.

“Oh, that tiny thing? Already taken care of. You’ve done enough!” Starshadow hisses. All three mages freeze.

“That’s… that’s not possible. I’ve practiced making that poison for… ages… how are you alive?” The poison mage asks. Starshadow snorts and backs up to me protectively.

“All poisons have a counter if given enough time. We bought enough time.” Starshadow explains shortly. My head is hurting from keeping all my magic going. One is an illusion. One is sustaining Starshadow, and one was curing myself of the poison again. I need to have enough magic to get back. Maybe five minutes really is going to be too much for me… 

“May we speak, miss?” The stone mage asks. Starshadow’s body sways, doing his best to keep himself between them and I. 

_ I don’t like this. _

_ Neither do I. but… maybe we should hear them out. They haven’t attacked. Why? _

_ … I really hate that about you.  _ Starshadow sighs, but lets down his guard. He shrinks faster than what I expected. Though, perhaps he’s aware of my magic limits as well.

“What do you want?” I ask. Everyone else lets out a sigh of relief and completely relaxes. They take down their hoods. I can understand why they are so persistent. Every single one of them looks pale and thin, haggard. They’re exhausted. It’s apparent that all this time of attacking those in charge is leaving them exhausted. I don’t know if they’ve had a proper meal in days. I can’t help but reach out to them, calling my magic to my palm.

_ ARE YOU NUTS??  _ Starshadow screams in my mind as I touch the man in charge. He has white hair on his head. His grey eyes are haggard and tired. I can feel all his aches and pains wash away with my magic. His face fills out a little more. I struggle to breath once my magic has completely restored his body.  _ You need magic for yourself! _

_ Can you take control then? _

_ And here I thought you would have practice. I’m going to drop the illusions instead. Your core can’t take much more. Take your time. I’ll explain to Tianna that we’ve found something of interest and we’re protecting her family.  _ Starshadow acquiesces. He’s really not happy about it, but he’s trusting me.

_ Tell her everything. But let her know that I am handling the situation.  _ I tell him. He nods before resting his head against my neck.

_ Consider it done. And you are in so much trouble when we get back. _

“Thank you.” The stone mage whispers. I wipe the small amount of sweat off my brow before turning to the other two. These ones look to be a little younger than him, with black and white hair or dirty blonde just starting to change. The black and white haired one is the one that can cast poison. I reach out to the blonde haired, invisible mage and heal his injuries first. He’s got a few cuts on his torso that have to restore themselves. Pieter must have gotten a few good strikes in before they retreated as there are some old injuries that need to be healed. Once the man’s torso is healed. I look at the poison mage. It makes me a little uneasy to reach out to him, but when I try to pull away, my stomach burns. I gasp in shock. The poison mage, he didn’t want to be the type he is. No wonder why he’s so good at ensuring the poison will kill others. He’s trying to kill himself.

Instead of touching his hand, I wrap him in a hug. I’m not afraid of him, but rather afraid for him. That he would go so far to try to kill himself with his own magic… but can’t… It’s heartbreaking. Funny how fast an opinion can change. I guess it’s a testament to myself as well. It’s hard for me to stay afraid anymore. My magic courses through his body, taking the hatred and pain away. I grit my teeth as I pull it into myself. Looking over his shoulder, I swear I see a flash of black and red. The hatred to all those that would kill his family, enslave them, is so strong I’m almost blinded by it. Still, it’s not my hatred. I gasp, feeling like I’m drowning. I can’t break myself free, but I have to. It’s like when I was helping Daamien. The feeling of being so angry I can’t help but lash out at whoever wants to help is overwhelming. The only reason why he’s afloat and capable of thinking are the people he wishes to protect. The men standing besides him and other mages that need help, that’s how he keeps himself in check.

“Please, no, let go, I’ll… hurt… you.” The man tries his best to push me off.

“I don’t care. You need help.” I mumble into his chest. With all my effort, I call my magic out. A bright borealis appears around us. Stars sparkle into view. The man relaxes in my grip. With that, I force my magic to summon the hatred inside him. It colors my yellow orange, the color of anger staining mine. The calm and worry I have for him, as well as Starshadow’s own feelings bleeding into me, keeps me grounded. 

I don’t know how long I was holding onto him, nor do I know how long I can keep my magic up and make it back to the Crownguards. All I know is that my borealis returns to the shimmering yellow before switching to the bright blue of my dress and disappearing. The man gasps and calls his magic to his hands. They glow a dark, kind blue. He starts to cry. He falls onto his knees. He calls the magic forward into his hands. The rest the mages all gasp in shock that his magic is no longer capable of poison.

“...Lady Starshadow… but why? How?” The man I just healed asks. I’m panting on the ground, my arms so shaky I’m barely able to keep myself upright. Starshadow even chooses to get even smaller to wrap around my wrist instead. He’s concentrating on getting my magic to restore faster.

“Everyone… deserves… compassion.” I gasp. The mage that I helped restore rests his hands on my shoulder. All the magic that I just lost comes back quickly. I blink in shock as everything in the world rights itself. The man retreats a little bit.

“Thank you, but you just made our mission much harder.” The stone mage growls lowly. “We needed that poison to help us.

“Why? Why not just let it go? Why are you trying to kill the king?” I ask, feeling a little naive. I can hear Starshadow scoff in my head, letting me know that I am being very naive.

“This monarchy is what is killing us. Why should we let them continue?” The stone mage demands.

“Why would you fight them? All you are proving is that you are dangerous. You are proving their beliefs to be true.” I protest.

“This is our home. We were born Demacians. We should be respected as people like that!”

“You are assassins. You tried to kill the king. No one would accept your claims now that you’ve attacked them.” 

“Then we succeed. And we let a mage take the throne. Then all the normal people can know what it’s like to be hunted down!” The stone mage snarls.

“Then what good will that do? All that will happen is that you will fight each other constantly. Hatred and fear will keep growing, and another Demacia will happen. Please.”

“We will not abandon our brothers and sisters to their fates!” The spearman proclaims.

“Then don’t!” I cry out. The men all blink at me, shocked that I have spoken so loudly. “You don’t have to live in Demacia’s city to be a Demacian. From what I was told, Demacia was brought into being to protect those that can’t defend themselves. Right now, mages can not defend themselves. They are being hunted, tortured, and imprisoned. Find a place to call your own. You have a mage that can make things disappear, one that can restore, and one that can move the rocks themselves. Make a place where no one but the mages can get to. Fulfill the Demacia promise. Protect your people.”

The men are silent. It seems like my words are impacting them more than I imagined it would. I’m also panting slightly at the end of my speech. I didn’t think that it would exhaust me as much as it did, though the constant depletion and restoration of magic might do that to me. That and I’ve happened to have some very passionate… moments, so that might have also made me breathless.

“...I think that’s a better idea.” The bowman speaks up. The other men look to him. “She’s right. We attacked the king. No non magical person will ever trust us to keep them safe, and the mages will think we’ve failed. We need to show them a safe haven.”

“...I agree.” The invisible one states.

“You can’t be serious.” The stone mage protests.

“We can’t do anything in the city anymore. I’m getting old too. I don’t want to fight anymore.” The blonde spearman speaks up. “I want to see something good come out of my life before I can’t do anything anymore.”

It seems like only the man with the dagger wants to fight. But even he looks like he’s melting under the pressure of his fellow mages.

“I’ll tell the mages in the city that you’ll have a safe home for them to live. Just please… Stop fighting.” I plead one last time as I stand up. Starshadow coils tightly around my wrist, much like he did when we were first bonded. I smile at him before turning my back.

“Where are you going?” The man I healed asks.

“There’s a mage in Demacia I need to help. Please, create that home for him. Once I’ve sent him free, I’ll send him there.” I promise and call my magic under my feet. With that, I race back in the direction of the Crownguards. A small beam of white light guides me back. Only a few minutes pass before I almost race by them. Well, more accurately, I accidently crash into Pieter. He was standing guard on the road right where I happen to be racing back. The initial impact hurt quite a bit as I felt Pieter’s impact as well. Thankfully my shadows manage to catch us. I pant a little bit. That’s the first time I’ve used my magic to enhance myself. I’ve used my magic to create steps and hold people still and protect others, but I’ve never actually used it on myself. It’s actually kind of thrilling. Maybe I’ll use that when I can control my magic better. As it is, I’m already feeling an urge to pass out...

“Lady Leilah!” Garen cries out. I gasp for air while Pieter groans.

“All… set…” That’s all the time I get to mutter before my lack of magic gets to me.

“Leilah?” Tianna’s voice is fuzzy in my ears. I come to with a groan.  _ Ok, maybe using all that magic in one go… after I’ve just recovered from poison… Maybe I should listen to Starshadow more. _

_ About time you realized that. But, knowing you, you’re just going to keep heading into dangerous scenarios and you’re going to struggle to keep up. And I’m going to watch your back.  _ Starshadow sighs.

“I’m alright.” I whisper. I wake up sharply from a slap across my face.

“What were you thinking? You are a prime witness for your friend, and you run off to go talk with the assassins from when you were poisoned and you somehow managed to convince them to leave the royal bloodline alone?” Tianna rants. I rub my hand against the phantom pain in my cheek. “You also left us in the dark! You might have needed assistance if that was the case! That was the most irresponsible thing that you could have done!”

_...Well, apparently she puts it better than I would have. Is it actually going to stick in that stubborn mind of yours? _

_ Probably not.  _ I joke, though it’s not entirely wrong.

_ Figures. _

“I’m sorry. I just saw someone in the distance and I really didn’t want anything bad to happen to Garen or Augatha and I thought I had recovered enough to be able to handle it without worrying but I guess I couldn’t and-”

“One sentence at a time. A lady of the court does not speak so quickly. Besides, the court needs to be able to understand you.” Tianna scolds me. We spend the rest of our journey with Tianna and Starshadow taking turns scolding me. Starshadow also is fixing my appearance to look as pristine as possible. Sweat and ragged hair is apparently not a good look for any representable lady.

It seems like the entire day goes by. I’m still listening to them cold me. It’s rather dull, so I ignore them at this point. I look out a window and gasp at the sight of a massive statue. I’m not sure how I never saw it… actually, I think I do. I never was in the front of the palace. The carriage that first took me to the Crownguards was also covered to prevent anyone from seeing a mage being treated well. This time, I see a giant, white statue with golden wings on his back. Three clawed hands are planted at it’s thin waist. I barely manage to see the golden helmet on its head, but I can sense it looking at me. 

“What is that?” I gasp, interrupting their tirade.

“That’s Galio. He’s said to be our greatest protector in times of need.” Tianna remarks fondly. I can’t help but let my mouth hang open. I feel a tug at my core and gasp when the statue’s head moves.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?” I scream and back away from the window. Tianna glances at the statue and shrugs.

“Nothing different.”

_ Oh, don’t worry. He protects the city. I was there. He won’t hurt you. _

_ What? _

_ Yeah. Big project. One of the few things that got my attention. Quite impressive. _

_...I don’t even want to know right now. At least, we’ll be safe. _

_ I’d advise you to put on your momentary disguise. We’re going into the walls of Demacia.  _ Starshadow touches his nose to my cheek. I feel the tingle of an illusion appearing over my eyes and hair. He’s right too. We’re passing by a checkpoint. The guard takes a quick look inside, sees Tianna, and immediately waves us through. She must have quite the reputation if they look at her and barely notice me.

“Now, remember. You have to remain composed, calm, and strong in your statements.” Tianna once again instructs me. I frown. For a city, it’s streets are remarkably clear. There must be something of interest for the streets to be clear.

“Is there a holiday today?” I interrupt her. She’s quiet for a moment. I keep looking out, trying to see where everyone is. Something here is giving me a bad feeling. 

“Not one that I would know.” Tianna answers me. I narrow my eyes at a passing flyer. It says today’s date… and a picture of Sylas behind bars.

“The trial… We need to get going.” I declare and look wide eyed at Tianna. She realizes what I’m implying and knocks on the roof. A soldier behind us looks in.

“Hurry to the mageseeker’s compound.” She orders. The guard nods and yells forward. The coach picks up a little bit of speed. Still, it’s too slow for me.

_ Sylas is in trouble. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leilah's off to a great start, getting three people to change their minds, but she's got a whole city to change, and it's gonna start with Sylas' Trial. That's coming up in the next two chapters. Then this arc will be done and it's off to one of my favorite arcs to write.
> 
> I don't really have much to say this time, since I desperately want to spoil, so I'm just gonna end like I always do. Thy day, let it bless thee with adventures and joy. Let thy day be... extraordinary. (Yes, I'm dramatic. That why you guys are still reading afterall. XD)


	55. Reunited with Sylas

“Can this thing go any faster?” I get a little jittery, my hands and feet tapping a little bit. Tianna gives me a strong glare, warning me to calm down. I struggle to do so, taking deep breaths can only go so far.

“She’s not wrong. We left Sylas in a pretty bad way. We need to make sure he’s ok and being treated right.” Starshadow supports me.

“We’re going as fast as we can.” Tianna tries her best to calm me down.

“What’s going to happen?” I ask, remembering that I was only taught how to be respectable, nothing of Demacian trials.

“Well, the accused will be brought before a judge. The judge will ask the defendant if he is guilty of the crime he commited. If he pleads guilty, the defendant is given a shorter and less aggressive punishment. If he pleads innocent, then both sides, both the defendant and the accusers will present their cases. After that, it is up to the judge to make a decision. In this case, Sylas will be defending himself, the accuser is the Mageseeker Corps, and the judge is the king.” Tianna explains it simply. Her hands rest tightly in her lap. She’s tense as well.

“Can they start a trial without all the witnesses?” I ask softly.

“...It’s unethical, but if the case is extreme enough, they might.” Tianna admits uneasily.

_ Don’t, Leilah. _

_ He needs our help! _

_ AND THIS TIME RUSHING OFF TO WHEREVER THE HELL YOU WANT IS GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE!  _ Starshadow screeches in my head. I cover my ears tightly at the noise. He takes the moment to wrap himself tightly around my legs to prevent me from running.

_ But- _

_ No buts! Aspects above, children are going to be an eternal weakness for you, and that’s going to be your downfall. So, this time, listen to me. They will not start the trial without you. Pieter sent a letter confirming that you are the only witness that knows what really happened. The mageseekers can push all they want, but the fact that you exist and you are coming to the trial is strong enough to ensure they won’t. Attempting to rush out there is just going to incite a panic and another attack against Mages. Play by their rules. That’s the only way anyone will respect you. Well, that or defend the entire country, but the second option needs a war to work. _

I huff, but remain silent. Annoying enough, I can’t move or argue against him. His logic makes sense, but I don’t want to leave things up to small chance. This place has a hatred for magic I haven’t seen anywhere else. I’m worried that they’ll do something to Sylas before we can get there, but I guess he let me take charge last time. I’ll listen to him this time.

“Fine.” I relent. 

_ Wait, what? You’re actually going to listen to me? _

“Tianna thinks it’s a bad idea too.” I try to make sure it’s clear that I’m not listening to him, even though I really am.

_ Finally! You actually listen to me!  _ Starshadow crows anyway. I smile and shake my head at my bonded affectionately. He eagerly meets my open hand for scratches. I give it to him. He’s certainly dealt with my rashness enough.

“I’m surprised. You seem to be the kind of person that rushes off to do your own thing.” Tianna comments. I wave my hand side to side.

“You would think after being tortured in Bilgewater, I’d be scared.”

“Bilgewater?” Tianna asks quietly.

“Um, that’s where I learned how quickly and completely I can restore myself. If I didn’t have my magic, I would be blind. Apparently, my eyes were really rare and important ingredients.” I hastily explain. Tianna’s eyes are wide open.

“... one would think you would quit.”

“I’ll be honest, I never thought about it. Quitting.” I look out the window while continuing to pet Starshadow. “I grew up in a small, nameless village. We’ve had some tough winters, where some of us starved. Quitting then meant death. Quitting while climbing Mount Targon, death. Quitting just isn’t an option.”

I guess that’s right. Quitting has never been an option. I’ve never thought about giving up what I was given. This life, Starshadow, being the borealis and a carrier of a darkin, I’ve never thought of quitting. Even when things were rough, like being sick, I didn’t want to quit. I wanted to do better. Be better. Help others that need it. Listen and help. There’s just… I can’t explain it. It’s just something… I want… I need to do. The world is full of problems. In my village, I’d do anything to help everyone in that small bubble of my home because that’s all I knew. Now, there’s a whole world out there. I know I can’t help everyone, but I have to try. It’s what I was raised to do.

“Impressive. Had you been born in Demacia, you would have been a worthy addition to our military.” Tianna remarks. The carriage rolls to a stop, though we don’t appear to be anywhere close to a place that has good authority. Tianna frowns and gets the attention of the men taking us in. He mutters something to her, too quiet for me to hear. She sighs and shifts uneasily around in her seat.

“What’s wrong?” I whisper quietly.

“There’s a mob gathered outside the mageseekers. They are calling for the boy’s blood.” She explains. I try to escape the carriage only for Starshadow to tighten his grip around my legs.

_ What do you think you’re doing? The Crownguards will be able to take us there. Sit down. _

_ But- _

_ No buts. This is Demacia rules. Follow them. Tianna will get you to where you need to go, even if she distrusts mages.  _ Starshadow states sternly. I reluctantly follow his lead. I really don’t want to though.

“How long will it take before we get to the corps?” My hands are trembling a little bit. My worry for Sylas is getting to my nerves.

“Shouldn’t be long, Leilah. Just stay calm. Close your eyes and center yourself.” Tianna attempts to help calm me down. Daamien did order me to meditate… I guess now is as good a time as any.

I close my eyes and start to take deep breaths. I remember all the tips Yone, Shen, and Kusho gave me. I haven’t done it in a while though. When I first start to breath, everything is shaky. I’m terribly worried about what’s going to happen.  _ Will I get Sylas free? Can I find a way to help him? WIll the people of Demacia listen to me? Can I help make Demacia a safer place? Can they be helped? What if they continue down this path? What nightmares could come? _

What feels like a warm hand grabs my hand. I quickly open my eyes in alarm as it’s too big to be Tianna’s. Even looking, I don’t see anyone. I almost jump out of my seat in alarm.

_ Just think that Yone is here, holding your hand and guiding you to meditation _ .  _ Sorry for scaring you, but you always seemed to sink into a relaxed state easier when Yone was nearby, even if you were better trained by Shen and Kusho.  _ Starshadow offers.

_ Thanks Starshadow.  _ I murmur in my mind and go back into deep breathing. The warmth on a hand presses firmly against me. I pretend it’s Yone holding it. I can hear his voice guiding me into taking calm breaths. I think Starshadow does his best to mimic the feeling of someone rubbing my hand softly. It feels like when Yone would brush against my hand. And it calms me down immensely. Enough to go into a deeper state, though I don’t try to enter my magic core. I simply take this time to calm down and center myself. With each thought I think of, I simply allow it to pass by. If I can free Sylas, I’ll have to wait until the end of the trial to see. That’s how I’ll help him right now. I don’t know if I can change anything or help everyone here, but all I can do is my best. That’s all I can ever do. 

I let my eyes flutter open. Looking out the window, there’s a massive mob as our ride slowly makes their way to our destination. A few people glance inside. Their eyes widen in shock before they start beating against the door. Tianna’s glare is enough to keep most people from invading the carriage, thankfully, but I do not enjoy the glares I’m receiving. Still, having done some deep breathing, I’m not as antsy as I would have been. 

_ Feel better?  _ Starshadow asks softly.

_ Much. _

“LET THE CROWNGUARDS PASS!” Someone yells out loudly. The carriage moves a little bit quicker. The mob seems to suddenly stop as a wall appears. We pass into a blissfully clear area, though there are a few men in mageseeker uniforms that watch us pass. They take notice of me, but don’t do anything. My hand reaches for my hair, though it’s quickly swatted away.

_ Don’t you dare ruin that braid. You are going to look your best and you are going to remain as calm as possible. I’m going to be around your neck and telling you when you need to calm down. _

_ Fine.  _

_ Thank you.  _ Starshadow quickly slithers into hiding on my neck. His tail gently caresses me before he completely disappears into my scarf. I take a deep breath, letting it out in time for the door to open. The man in front immediately notices me and stiffens, though he doesn’t cry out mage. Instead, he stiffens, casually reaching for his sword as he backs away. Tianna gestures at me, warning me to wait. She elegantly steps outside. I start to follow when there’s a soft clanking. Many Mageseekers glare at me with hands on hilts as I carefully walk down the steps. I… trip over my feet at the last step. Tianna catches and straightens me, but leaves her hands on my shoulders.

“This is Lady Leilah Starshadow. She is the witness to the boy’s trial.” Tianna announces. I do my best to resist waving a hand and try standing tall.

“She’s a mage, Lady Crownguard!” One of the men yells loudly. I jump as he called from behind me. 

“She’s a champion of Mount Targon!” Tianna states firmly. There’s a collective gasp from the announcement. The older men relax, letting go of their weapons completely before giving a soft bow. The younger are less inclined to follow, but they do so after a little bit of time. “What did the report from Bridget’s examination reveal?”

“Lady Tianna.” A doctor steps up and bows his head. “The only magic the servant girl Bridget was exposed to was healing magic, and that was over a week ago. Can you explain that?”

“The servant girl was suffering an injury to her hand. This champion took it upon herself, even in a bad state, to heal her. Would that explain the healing magic?”

“Certainly, Lady Tianna. Lady Starshadow.” The doctor bows his head. Tianna relaxes immensely after the exchange. This time when she looks at me, I feel more like a friend than an acquaintance, so I gather up my courage to do what I want to do.

“If I may ask, where’s Sylas?” I ask quietly. The eldest and most decorated mageseeker steps forward. He’s missing a leg and has an eye patch, but each stride he makes is strong. I unconsciously take a step back as he is very, very tall compared to me. He must be at least seven feet tall, compared to my measly five foot few inches. Tianna merely stares at him. He doesn’t even look perturbed, though he goes down to one knee. I resist the urge to glare at him for having to lower himself like an adult to a child, though I feel a little better when he’s looking directly in my eyes instead of looking down.

“The king stated that you were allowed to see the boy. He came in thoroughly subdued. He’s in our medical ward to recover from his attempts to escape-”

“What…” I struggle to keep myself from snarling at hearing that he’s being treated. The mageseekers that caught him before… What did they do to him? Starshadow’s tail taps against my neck and I take a deep breath, struggling to keep myself calm.

“He came in suffering from internal bleeding and broken ribs. The mageseekers that brought him here claimed that he fought him tooth and nail for the longest time and that was the only way to subdue him-” The leader sounds a little confused at my change from shy to furious. Tianna, too, reacts uneasily.

“I would love to know exactly how a bound and beaten mage would have been able to fight off six men, especially since he is only a boy. No, your mageseekers are allowing their grievances against mages to control their actions. They dislocated my arm and dragged me on the ground unconscious for a time. We were treated like animals. If I didn’t escape, I have no doubt I would have come in looking like Sylas. I imagine his injuries were… extensive?” My voice takes a dark tone to it. The general nods slowly. “Take me to him, now.” I raise my chin up and stare right back. He nods and gets back on his feet.

“Follow me.” The man orders. I follow right on his heels. Tianna stays with me. A quick glance around the place shows the mageseekers that brought Sylas in are paling rapidly before they take our spears.

“Lady Tianna! General! You are holding the escaped mage! Please, allow us to take her in! We can see just how the boy helped her escape our grasp.” The leader from our day long capture speaks up. His men surround us. Most of them look at me hungrily. Starshadow’s tail taps against my back, not at all happy with how they are behaving. Tianna’s eyes flash in fury.

“She is Lady Leilah Starshadow. A champion from Mount Targon. You will show the respect she deserves, instead of torturing her for trying to inform you of your grievances.” Tianna barks. The men pale at hearing that.

“S-s-she was t-t-telling the truth?” The leader stammers. I raise my head as strongly as I can and look down at them. The leader squeaks and drops to one knee. His lackeys follow suit. “Forgive us, we thought she was lying and we punished her for her discretions-”

“You… attacked her? When she made a claim to a feat very few have accomplished?” General snarls. All the men who held me captive try to scramble away. The man who was in charge just quakes in his place. “If that’s the case, I must review exactly why you thought it was necessary to break bones to ensure a boy no older than fifteen would not fight back.”

The little man squeaks. I can smell and see him urinate. Tianna scoffs. The general glances back at us and gives a soft nod. He doesn’t even bother talking to the disgraced man. Quite frankly, neither do I. I don’t need to say anything to him. Instead, I turn my head away and continue to walk forward.

_ Impressive. I would have thought you would have reamed him.  _ Starshadow comments calmly with a gentle loving nudge against my neck.

_ Sylas needs my help. Besides, you told me that I needed to stay calm. I don’t need to spend energy on that idiot.  _ I keep my head up as the general opens a door. With only a glance, I can’t stop myself from racing inside.

Sylas is barely breathing. His eyelids are completely black, with a split lip and a red stain on his bandaged forehead. His neck is dark red with bruises. This shoulder looks like it’s dislocated and his wrists are completely inflamed under the cuffs he’s in. His chest is wrapped tightly in white bandages, but it’s clear he’s not healing. His breathing is short in painful gasps. I yank off the few sheets on his body. Tears fall down my cheeks as I take in his swollen and partially broken ankles. I don’t know how he managed to keep walking, but I know that they would have made him. Immediately, I call my magic forward and let it spread on Sylas’ body. I rest my hands on his chest first as that seems to be the most dire.

“...consider all those that were involved with your tortures fired.” The general murmurs next to me. My tears continue to fall as my magic heals and repairs Sylas. The worst of his injuries are treated first. Within seconds his struggle to breath is reversed. He’s able to take deep breaths. I can feel his ribs move back into place under my fingers. Any internal bleeding that he’s still suffering from is immediately healed. His entire posture somehow manages to relax. I head down his legs next as I’m avoiding the petricite for the moment and his legs seem to be in worse shape. His swollen and misshapen legs snap back to healthy and slim again. His face twitches in his sleep. I understand what he feels, the discomfort of injuries returning to how they once were is definitely an… interesting experience. It’s uncomfortable until your body recognizes that it’s back to normal.

“Is this how you let your men behave? No wonder why the mage population is afraid of us. This is… intolerable.” Tianna backs me up. Once Sylas’ legs are healed, I reach up to his face. The black eye returns to pale skin. The blood dissolves as I heal his head injury and I fix his split lip. By now I’m panting and drenched in sweat. If there wasn’t any Petricite nearby, my magic would have already finished its job, but since there is, I’m slowed down.

I carefully copy the feel of Petricite. It recognizes itself and lets my disguised healing pass. A quick look over my shoulder tells me that Tianna and the general are too engrossed with their discussion, so I heal his wrists, taking away the puffiness and discomfort. With that last bit of his body healed, I let go. That, apparently, isn’t a good idea as I drop to the ground. My hands catch the brunt of my weight, making a slight creak and a sharp sensation of pain before it’s washed away.

“Lady Starshadow!” The general cries out. A pair of hands wrap themselves around my waist and hauls me up. I shriek a little bit at the treatment and struggle a little bit.

“Don’t touch me!” I scream at Goliath. I shake my head. Starshadow’s head brushes against my neck...  _ No, That’s not right… _

_ Flashback, Leilah. Sylas is here. He’s alive. You’ve healed the worst of his injuries. You’re in Demacia. Goliath is not holding you.  _ Starshadow murmurs in my head. He presses against my ear to remind me that I’m safe.  _ You’re in Demacia. I’m here, not like last time.  _ It takes a really long moment, but eventually I’m able to recenter myself. I want to groan in frustration. I really thought I was done with that stuff.  _ You’re a strong girl, Leilah, but these… they may never go away. We’re under a little more stress and more familiar scenarios than in the Freljord, so it makes sense you are struggling here. _

“I apologize, Lady Starshadow. I was only trying to help.” The general quickly apologizes. I rub my eyes and blink them back into focus.

“It’s not your fault. I’m sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve had a flashback. I’m not sure why I’m getting them so often now, but I am.” I try to comfort the man. Starshadow’s idea has merit, but I need to focus on helping Sylas.

“Be that as it may, you’ve lost control of your men. No one should ever be treated like this.” Tianna snorts. The general practically prostrates himself before her, bowing his head.

“You are right, Lady Crownguard. They will be dismissed from the Corps, you have my word.” He promises vehemently. I don’t pay much more attention as there’s a soft groan coming from the bed. Sylas’ eyelids struggle to open, but he manages it in the end, even if he looks tired. I wave my hand, keeping out the noise that Tianna and the man in charge are making. He lets out a strangled noise when he recognises me and tries to sit up. He’s not strong enough, even if I did fully heal him. His mind still believes that he’s injured.

“Lei-” He coughs harshly. I quickly turn and grab some water before offering it to him. He carefully drinks my offer, trying his best not to choke while getting it all down. With each gulp, I feel my fury rising. How anyone could have done this to a child, one that is scared and alone, is beyond me. He finishes the glass quickly before shyly asking for more. I let him hear the bickering behind me. His eyes widen when he realizes that we aren’t alone. Apparently his determination is stronger than his mind as he easily stands up and places himself between them and I. Tianna and the General notice quickly and get ready for a fight. 

“Wait!” I cry out. No one moves. Instead, all eyes turn on me. I cautiously move between Sylas and the ones he perceives as threats.

_ What are you doing?  _ Starshadow mutters in my head.

_ I’m the only one everyone has a decent reputation with.  _

_ You’re also unnecessarily putting yourself in jeopardy! _

_ If it’ll stop everyone from lashing out, I’m taking the chance.  _ I face down Tianna and the general.

“Lady Starshadow, please step aside. That boy is a dangerous criminal and needs to stand trial.” The general attempts to remain calm.

“I was there, general. He did nothing that merits the level of caution you are displaying.” I state calmly. Sylas gingerly reaches out and holds onto my dress. Tianna and the general tighten their grip on their weapons. I simply just rest a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He glances at me warily. “It’s ok. You’re in a medical ward. You aren’t going to be hurt here.”

Sylas blinks at me before nodding and relaxing. Tianna and the general relax as well. The man in charge darts out for a moment before bringing a doctor. Sylas looks very uncomfortable at the new people, shifting a little bit and tries to pull me behind him. I gently persuade him to relax, getting him to sit on the bed and letting the man examine him, though he watches the man very carefully the entire time. Only my hand in his keeps him from lashing out. I don’t fault him for being so anxious. He’s been hunted for being who he is for months. The only person here who could understand is me.

“Amazing. There’s no sign of any injuries. I thought for sure he was going to go.” The man mumbles under his breath. He eyes me closely. Almost… too closely, like I’m a specimen. It doesn’t give me good feelings. “How did you do that?”

“You’ve done your examination. You may leave now.” Tianna states firmly. The man narrows his eyes.

“But the magic of a healer mage would be great research.” The doctor protests. He starts to reach for me. Sylas leaps off the bed and gets between us. He remains silent, staring harshly at the doctor. “Get out of my way, boy.”

“You are out of line, sir. Now, can you please leave?” I speak up. I glance at Tianna and the general. Both nod when they see my silent plea. The general clears his throat, making the doctor cringe in annoyance. He resists leaving for a moment, but the general makes it very clear that the doctor is not welcomed anymore. He grumbles as he leaves. The general follows the doctor out, but Tianna takes a moment to look at us.

“I can give you a few minutes.” The Lady Crownguard remarks. 

_ You can’t stay long, as it gives you a chance to match up your stories.  _ Starshadow explains in my mind.

“Thank you, Lady Crownguard.” I use a little magic to inform her quietly. She nods softly before leaving.

“What’s happening? Last thing I remember, I passed out right as we arrived. What happened that night? They woke me up demanding how I helped you escape. I was beaten for it, and had to walk the rest of the way here… Are you going on trial?” Sylas rushes out all his words.

“I’m… actually… that’s a bit of a story…” I stammer a little bit. “I, uh… actually met the king of this country and saved him from assassins and might have earned a name as a Lady of Demacia.” Sylas blinks at my summary. I decide not to tell Sylas about Petricite as he is probably one of the only people who can access it, being able to see it. I can’t have him looking to lash out at everyone at his trial. Starshadow snorts in my neck.

_ Oh, yes. That’s not surprising at all. _

_ You’re rubbing off on me too much. _

_ That’s not so bad. Maybe you’ll finally care about your appearance. _

_ Not a chance. _

“But… This country… hates mages?” Sylas looks very confused.

“It’s a bit of chance and the king being open minded.” I wave my hands a little bit. Sylas looks at me in wonder and amazement.

“How… you… I don’t…” Sylas stammers.

“We don’t have that much time to explain. Right now, you’re going to be on trial for being the murderer of Vannis and Marcino, as well as a farmer and his daughter. You will plead not guilty and you will use Leilah as your witness, got it?” Starshadow rushes out. Sylas snaps out of his shock and looks at me like… like I’m someone special. Kind of how Yone looks at me. A blush warms up my cheeks.

_ Does Yone have another competitor? _

_ Shut up, Starshadow! _

“You did your best to save me once, and now you’re going to do it again. I’ll follow your request. I know you’ll save me.” The boy murmurs quietly. My face turns a fiery red.

_ You know I’m going to be telling Yone about this. _

_ Don’t tease him! _

_ He really needs to stop lollygagging and actually accompany you on your adventures. How much training could he possibly need? _

_ I need training! _

_ You train on your adventures in small ways. Mostly why I think he needs to just go. He’s never going to actually learn how to protect you until he does so. Aurora and Daamien only understand the amount of effort I put in making sure you don’t die.  _ Starshadow huffs. I sigh and return back to our conversation.

“Sylas… I… Sylas, I might not be able to get you free.” I tell him honestly. I don’t want to make it seem like I can save him definitely. “The king made me a part of Demacia. I can only do so much to help. If I try to do anything that isn’t by Demacia rules, I’m afraid of what will happen to other mages.”

“That’s alright. You’ve already done more than enough to save me.” Sylas murmurs. His head drops slightly. He looks so lost and alone. I pull him into a hug, wanting to comfort him. His body trembles and almost seems to shrink in my arms. Before I know it, he gives me a tight hug of his own. A few tears drop onto my shoulder as he clutches me tightly. I just rub his back and let him cry. He lets out all his fear on me. 

_ Ugh. Really? All on your clothes? I spent so much magic on that to make you look pristine! Now it’s gonna rust.  _ Starshadow whines in my head.

“Lady Starshadow?” Tianna interrupts. I gently pry off the taller teen and turn around. Tianna looks a little reluctant to interrupt, but there’s more soldiers behind her, wearing the gold of the king’s entourage. “I’m afraid your time is over.”

“Thank you, Lady Crownguard. I’ll be right out.” I answer her.

“The king wishes to see you now.” Tianna argues. I sigh and push Sylas back onto his bed. His hands reach out to grab mine, though Starshadow is quick to put a stop to it. I can feel the tug of magic holding Sylas back. Still, I keep walking to the door. Tianna follows me out while the guards go in. I glance over my shoulder to see Sylas staring at me desperately as the men close in around him. Tianna blocks my vision and takes me away.

She continues to pull me through weaving hallways until we come back to the square, though it’s different. Instead of milling mageseekers, everyone is organized and bowing their heads to the center of the courtyard. Tianna bows her head. I take her cue and bow to the king and his son.

“May the trial of Sylas of Dregbourne commence.” The king calls out. I hear a bit of stumbling behind us. I can’t help but look behind me. My eyes widen as Sylas stumbles from a harsh push. The kind stands magnanimously above him. Jarvan IV looks curiously at Sylas before scoffing. I can’t help but narrow my eyes a little bit at that behaviour. 

The other soldiers close ranks around Sylas and the king. Sylas shivers a little bit in fear. I try to get to his side, but Tianna stops me. All I can do is watch helplessly as Sylas peers at the king.

“Sylas of Dregbourne. You stand accused of betraying Demacia, being a mage, and murdering your fellow mageseekers. How do you plead?” The king asks loudly. Sylas trembles when he looks at the king. His eyes flick to me. Something about me makes him make up his mind. He looks directly at the king, not a single muscle moving.

“Guilty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo far ahead in this story. Seriously, I think I'm like 20 chapters ahead now, and I've written some damn interesting parts, and I'm an impatient sonnova crazy person. That, and I'm having a bit of a bad start. This always cheers me up and makes me happy, so I hope you guys are happy reading this story. I'll be posting like usual on Thursday, so you don't have to worry about waiting five whole days to get to read this. Until then, I hope you guys are making yourself the most extraordinary of days. Let me know if that ending gets a little old, I can change it up a bit.


	56. Conclusion to the Trial

_ Wow. I was not expecting that.  _ Starshadow comments in my mind. I try to get to Sylas, though Tianna holds me back. The king looks back at me with a frown, though his face clears in understanding before turning to the young man in front of him.

“Are you fully aware that Lady Leilah Starshadow is a recognized Lady of my court?” The king asks.

“Yes, sir.” Sylas murmurs. His eyes keep flicking over to me.

“She would not come to harm if you asked for trial and is a witness.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Do you still plead guilty?” The king demands. I glance around to see every single soldier looking at me in confusion. I’m still not known to the people as part of the king’s court.

“Yes, your majesty. I am guilty of betraying my fellow mageseekers. I am guilty of not doing my part to protect Demacia.” Sylas states diligently. Tianna has to wrap both her arms around me at this point.

“He’s lying!” I cry out. Tianna slaps a hand over my mouth, though I keep struggling to get out. The prince glances over at me in confusion, though continues to watch the trial commence.

“Are you sure, Sylas of Dregbourne? You are given a chance for freedom with this new information. If you choose to remain guilty, you will be put in prison for life.” The king asks. He’s a little bit gentler now, like an adult asking a child. I stop struggling. “If you go through with the trial and fail, you will be executed, but if you are found innocent, you will be free.”

“Why is banishment not an option, your majesty?” Sylas asks. His voice quivers a bit. I can see his hands start to shake.

“Your… disease is too powerful if it was able to completely kill some of our best mageseekers. Demacia would not feel comfortable letting that disease into the world.” The king explains. I want to snarl and fight. 

_ That little bastard. Oh, Yone is definitely going to hear about this. _

_ What are you talking about? _

_ Apparently, either he’s worshipping you or he has feelings for you.  _ Starshadow clarifies. I stop struggling against Tianna. It’s a little much for me, thinking that there’s a third person that has expressed an interest in me. And in the village, I was the girl no boy wanted because I grew up with them all, treating them like family. Well, a few boys were not that close, but they were all obnoxious and couldn’t handle my adoration of stories.

_ I really hope it isn’t both. That’s just too much. _

“...I’m guilty, your majesty.” The boy mumbles. Everyone around us murmurs to each other. It really is unexpected, that he would rather claim he’s guilty instead of being tried. Many innocent people would fight tooth and nail.

I struggle against Tianna again. This can’t be happening. Sylas needs the chance to be free. He didn’t do anything wrong! Starshadow’s tail smacks into my back.

_ Calm down. We’re in Demacia. We play by Demacia rules. _

_ But Sylas doesn’t deserve this! _

_ We can’t change anything. Let it go. _

“Very well. Let it be known that Sylas of Dregbourne… is declared guilty.” The king announces reluctantly. My hands tremble and tears fall down my face. He glances at me again. There’s a soft sorrow in his eyes as he looks at me. Tianna shifts from holding me back to holding me up. My legs gave out. All this time, I thought I would be able to help him. I failed to save him once. He left before I could do anything. Now he’s here again, standing in front of me, a young man, and I… I can’t help him. He won’t accept my help. I can’t get him to the other mages that are going to help others escape this tyranny. Or he’s trying to protect me. Idiot. I can take care of myself. “You will be placed in the deepest cell under constant supervision. You will be isolated as the disease you have can greatly harm others.”

“I understand, your majesty.” Sylas bows his head. Two guards step forward and start to haul him away. 

“Your majesty, please wait!” I call out. Murmurs erupt from the people around us, though nothing seems to happen. The king raises an eyebrow at my interruption.

“Lady Starshadow, I do not recall giving you permission to speak.” The king gently chastises me. Starshadow whacks against my neck harshly. I wince from the pain, but I do my best to keep my head up tall.

“Apologies, your majesty, but Sylas of Dregbourne has been nothing but compliant. I was going to be his witness, and I consider him a friend. Please, let me talk to him. Let me say goodbye.” I beg. Sylas starts to struggle a little bit, feeling like something might go wrong. There is a bit of a possibility that there could. I subtly wave my hand under Tianna’s arm, casting enough magic to keep Sylas from struggling too much. I can see when Sylas realizes that he can’t struggle. He’s frozen stiff.

The king is silent. He stares at me. I hold my head up tall, ignoring everyone else’s muttering. There’s a lot of whispers discussing who I am and how I can speak up against the king and his ruling. I feel all eyes stare at me. All the attention makes my skin crawl, but I can’t back down now. I’m the Aspect of Hope. I inspire people to always be better. I am a storyteller from a far off village in Targon. I climbed Mount Targon. I trapped a demon. I met an ancient Ice Witch and survived Freljordian magic. A few whispers is certainly not going to stop me especially when a child needs me.

“...You may accompany him to his cell. Though I expect you at the palace tomorrow, to introduce you to the people as a Demacian royal.” The king states.

“I’m a targonian, your majesty. While I appreciate your kindness, I am not a Demacian. Not while Demacia treats those most like me so horribly.” I state cooly. That earns me an incredibly harsh glare and an increase in whispers. “I am not even sure if I will be here tomorrow anyway. I am a champion of Mount Targon, the Aspect of Hope, and I am a healer. I will not be aligned to any single country, but I will always protect those that need protection. Right now, I see a young man being treated like a criminal. Even if he refused to have assistance, he still needs someone to tell him he’s not alone.” 

_ What the hell are you doing? _

“Some day, when Demacia is in grave danger, I will be there to help. Until then, I will defend the ones that can not defend themselves, and that, right now, is Sylas.” I finish. Silence reigns the courtyard. I yank myself out of Tianna’s grasp, though it’s not that hard. Her grip is slack. I surprised everyone here.  _ I’m not going to let someone dictate what I do. I’m not Demacian royalty. _

_...Well, there goes all the privileges of Demacian royalty. _

_ You’re ok with this? _

_ What makes you think I can fix this? I don’t like it, but you are my bonded and nothing you said was a lie. Besides, I can’t enjoy Demacian food if I am unable to reveal myself. Oh, oh, can we go back to Ionia? I miss their delicious foods. _

_ Oh, Starshadow. You never cease to be a glutton.  _

_ The best thing about being a celestial, I will never look bad. _

_ You sure? I think I see a few wrinkles. _

_ BLASPHEMY!  _ Starshadow protests. I laugh mentally as I feel the magic making us look presentable returns to my normal, comfy clothes.

_ Are you ever going to leave my wardrobe alone? _

_ Nope. _

“...Are you certain you wish to go down this path, Lady Starshadow?” The king repeats himself. Prince Jarvan peaks around the number of guards surrounding him.

“Please, Lady Starshadow. Take back what you said. Come to the palace.” The young man begs. It tears at my heart that I’m going to deny his request, but it doesn’t stop me.

“If you don’t mind, please tell Lord and Lady Crownguard that I greatly appreciate their generosity. And I will also be around whenever they or their families need me.” I claim. I can’t look at Jarvan. I’m afraid I’d retract my statement. It doesn’t matter to me that I didn’t even spend that much time with him. Children are precious. I’d hate to disappoint any young one. I keep my head up high, though. Taking the surest steps I can, I walk up to Sylas’s guards. “Lead the way.”

“Lady Starshadow?” a young guard asks. 

“It’s Leilah. I’m not a Lady of Demacia. Not anymore.” I claim and step up to Sylas’ side, though I don’t touch him. I might have just stepped all over Demacian traditions… that might not be so good… but Sylas needs support more than Jarvan or Garen or Lux or even the king right now. He’s the one that is going to be suffering for a mistake that he couldn’t control. He needs someone to be there for him, to believe in him. Sylas gazes at me in wonder and adoration as I pass by him to look right at the general. Somehow, he still has respect in his eyes.

“Follow me.” The general gestures to me to follow him. Four guards step up around us. Two try to handle him, though a sharp glare puts an end to that. They simply linger around us. I walk nearby, close enough that we can converse quietly, far enough that Sylas can’t accidentally touch me. Or the Petricite around his wrists.

“You don’t have to come with me.” Sylas whispers quietly. He leans over to be able to talk with me. I notice that he keeps the Petricite away from me. I… didn’t exactly have the best reaction to the stuff. I’m glad he remembered, it was a rather extreme reaction last time. Though, I’m surprised no one is noting the fact that I’m still walking when we walk past doors. This place feels very strongly of Petricite. Starshadow morphs our magic to feel like the possessive stuff. Now that I know how Petricite feels and my magic is restored, I can resist attempting to grab the guard’s weapons. I’m not exactly successful, since Starshadow is constantly tapping my neck, but I don’t bring attention to the fact that my magic can still work.

“Like hell I’m going to let you deal with this alone. Why did you state you were guilty? My story could have cleared your name!” I snap quietly.

“Leilah, you’ve done so much for me. Back then, when I was younger and scared, you stood there, like a pillar of safety. You did your best to protect me while your magic was bound. Then you buried the others when I was too shocked to do so. Then when we met again, you let yourself be captured in your attempt to protect me. You healed me when I was asleep and escaped to inform the king. You got me a trial. You did all this for me, but if you allowed yourself to be a witness, some of the mageseekers here would attempt to take revenge for someone that could destroy their reputation. I didn’t want that for you.” Sylas answers me.

“It’s my choice to make. Besides, I’m rarely here. What can they do?”

“They might take it out on other mages in the country. Better that I take their fate than let them all suffer.” Sylas shrugs his shoulders.

“But what about you? Shouldn’t you have your own freedom?” I demand.

“You showed me that if I can, I should try to protect others. Every single time you were hurt, it was because of me. Maybe this way, other mages won’t be hurt. They won’t be hunting me down, so there’s a little less pressure-”

“You’re only fifteen! You shouldn’t be thinking like that! I’m almost twenty years old. I can heal. I’m really, really hard to keep injured.” I snap.

“I was raised in the corps. I know how they think. I know how they would have hunted me. They would have gone to every single house. If they found a mage, they would take him with them, regardless that the mage wasn’t me.”

“You sound like you were going to turn yourself in.”

“No, nothing like that. I... well, I went back to the farm to see if you were still there, but that was after around a month. Then I tried to leave the country, but I couldn’t. Demacia is my home. I want to protect it, but I can’t do that if I’m not there. So, I was just… listless. Then you appeared and we were found.” Sylas tries to explain what happened to him. 

“I guess I revealed your location?” A feeling of guilt sinks into my chest. My heart feels like it’s being crushed.

“No, nothing like that. I just lost track of them and went back on a path. You just happened to appear. Besides, you never appear in a flash of light. It’s more like shadows are spitting you out.” Sylas does his best to comfort me. It works as my chest loosens.

“Are you going to be ok?” I ask. A smack from Starshadow’s tail has me hiding my hands under my armpits to avoid stealing from the general. I really don’t need to hoard weapons while we’re being escorted. I really don’t… maybe I do… Nope.

“I’ll be alright. They’ll feed me and let me sleep, afterall.” Sylas sounds so gentle and tender. He probably assumes that the petricite is getting to me. It sort of is, so he’s not wrong, just not in the way he expected…

“But you won’t be free. You won’t have experienced your first kiss or date or know what it’s like to live. You won’t get to smell the fresh breeze or feel the sun on your face or just close your eyes under a tree or-” My rambles are cut short when Sylas plants a kiss right on my lips. There’s a soft sliding sound of swords being drawn, though Sylas pulls away just as quickly.

_ Oh, the nerve of that boy! That’s it. Sett is my second to least favorite person. Sylas is the worst. At least Sett asked for a date first. Who raised this hooligan?  _ Starshadow heats up my neck.

_ Ow. You’re burning me, Starshadow. And he’s going away to prison for a while.  _

_ Sorry, and that’s no excuse.  _ Starshadow’s scales cool my neck.  _ Though, perhaps this is a good thing. This should light a fire under Yone’s ass. _

_ Starshadow! Why would you want to burn him? _

_ Figure of speech, Leilah. Figure of speech. It just means that maybe Yone will stop dragging his heels and actually come with us… Do I need to explain dragging his heels? _

_ I hate you. _

_ No you don’t.  _ I don’t need to look at Starshadow to know he’s smirking at me.

“There. That’s one thing on your list that I will have gotten to experience. It’s just a shame that I won’t be able to do that again.” Sylas mumbles. He’s tall and proud, acting like nothing happened. The guards around us close ranks, separating him from me.

“Take him to his cell.” The general snaps. It’s so cold I’m wondering if the man has Freljordian magic in his body. Though, he wouldn’t be in charge of the mageseekers if he was. 

Sylas is yanked away from me. I’m honestly too stunned by the fact that he just kissed me to respond, though when he’s pulled behind a huge set of doors, I can’t say anything to him anymore. Now, it’s just me and the general. He sighs before turning to me.

“Are you alright, Lady St… Lady Leilah?” The man asks. I nod dumbly. Starshadow snickers in my head at my misfortune. 

“Uh, just… wait, why are you calling me a lady? I told everyone that I didn’t want the title.” I recall. He slowly walks back the way. His slow pace is remarkably fast for my tiny form still.

“Your behaviour today, that is the behaviour of a true Demacian, in my opinion.” The general takes a moment to collect his thoughts. “You stood up for what you believed in, protecting and helping those that could not support themselves. Lady Tianna told me the story of what happened out there. You tried to get him to change his mind, to try to help him. You knew he was innocent. When he wanted to be guilty, you refused to stop supporting him. He might be a mage, but very few people would be so vehement about protecting someone who couldn’t defend themselves.”

“I couldn’t free him, though.” I sigh. My head drops a little bit. Starshadow’s nuzzling into my neck.

_ Even if the bastard kissed you, you were the embodiment of hope to all mages.  _

_ There weren’t any mages there. _

_ No obvious ones, but there were definitely those that know of mages or support them.  _ Starshadow helpfully points out. It makes me feel a little bit better.

“But, aren’t you a mageseeker? Don’t you dislike mages for a job?”

“When you’ve been a mageseeker as long as I have, the lines blur. I’ve had to go to healers to save my companions. A few times, I’ve enlisted mages to help me track a particularly bad mage. They’ve taught me that not all mages are bad. Some of them are just like normal humans.” General murmurs. I didn’t think it was possible that someone could be so calm about mages, yet here stands a person just like that. “I am curious though. How are you able to stand comfortably in this prison?”

“Uh, my magic can adjust to different magics. Petricite uses its own magic, mine just mimics the feel of it, though with that mimicry comes… personality quirks.” I explain quickly. The man looks back at me curiously. He opens his mouth to ask another question when we exit to a group of soldiers standing in front of the king. The prince is being ushered away, though it’s clear he’s curious about what’s going to happen. I dip into a trained curtsy. When I look up again, the king is standing right in front of me. He waves away the men.

The general slowly rises and leaves. He gently presses a hand against my shoulder before barking orders. Men scramble to follow his command. Before long, the king and I are completely alone, though there are several eyes looking in our direction. It doesn’t concern the King as he steps into my space. For the first time since this joke of a trial, Starshadow moves. He makes sure the king clearly sees him, with his ruby red eyes right next to mine. I have to move my head a little bit to accommodate Starshadow’s massive hood.

“What do you want, your highness? She’s already snubbed you. Are you here to arrest her? Because I will make sure no one will be able to hold her.” Starshadow hisses.

_ Now who’s being rude? _

_ I tried it first, though you plowed through that. Might as well follow your bad idea to the end. _

_ Rude. _

“Peace, Starshadow. I merely wish to speak with you. Both of you.” The king holds up his hands. I can straighten my neck.

“Oh… Apologies.” Starshadow blushes a little bit, though he keeps his head up.

_ Well done.  _ I deadpan in my head.

_ It is so hard to keep you safe with your behaviour. Better to react with impunity when it doesn’t look good. _

“I understand that Leilah is your priority. I also understand that the mageseekers here did not present a good first impression.” The king waves off Starshadow’s behaviour. “I came here to talk to you. Walk with me.”

“Your majesty?” I mumble quietly. He walks away. I scramble to follow him.

“You said that you declined being a lady of Demacia. I am not accepting that.” The king merely states. I blink.

“Sir?” I am definitely more than confused.

“You may be a mage, but you behave better than most of my men. You would be a great role model for my son.” The king remarks.

“How would I be a role model to your son? All I did in front of him is pass out and be held back while being under attack.” I retort.

“Truth. I would be a better role model for Prince Jarvan than Leilah.” Starshadow joins in. I make a little magic tap his nose. He gives a little hiss at the rebuke and sticks his tongue in my ear. I try to not squirm too much.

“You show that you would protect what matters most to you, yes, but Leilah here shows that even with her limitations, she will fight to protect those that would not be able to defend themselves. It doesn’t matter how impossible the situation is, she will defend others to the best of her ability.” The king explains. I blush a little at the praise.

“I… suppose that if you had to choose someone to be a good influence on the young prince, Leilah would be a candidate worthy of taking that title from me.” Starshadow relents. I snort. The king raises an eyebrow.

_ Your ego is showing so much I’m surprised it fits in Demacia. _

_ I can not believe that I am not allowed to be a role model for a prince. That… is insulting to someone of my caliber.  _ Starshadow whines as ‘noble’ as he can.

“Apologies.” I mumble quickly.

“You have done nothing wrong. Starshadow is your bonded, sworn to protect you. As much as I wish a celestial would be his true role model, someone a little more like him would be better suited.” The king explains, not noticing that he’s placated Starshadow.

_ Well, when he puts it like that… I’m happy. _

_ Vain. _

_ Celestial. _

“Do you want me to still be a lady of the court? I’m still a mage and a foreigner.” I try to point out why exactly I should not be a lady of Demacia.

“Perhaps, when you are here, because you are the Aspect of Hope, people will listen. Especially if you are a respected lady of the court.”

“...What do you want me to do then, your majesty?” I ask.

“For now, do what you must. I will raise my son to understand that what you say is not to be taken lightly. Until we meet again.” 

“I hope we’ll meet when I’m more of a tourist than I am a saviour.” I remark. He walks me past the gates. Lady Tianna bows her head to both of us.

“I hope so as well. Until we next meet, Lady Leilah.” The king states clearly. Tianna jumps a little bit at realizing that I still have a title.

“Until then.” I nod my head. The king nods and walks away. I sigh and relax, only to jump at Tianna getting right in my face.

“How on Runeterra did you manage to get the king to reinstate you as a lady? Most would only ever have one chance.” Tianna immediately questions me. I start to open my mouth when a sharp tug at my core halts me. A quick glance down at my feet and my eyes are wide open. I quickly look around for something, anything to hide me. I’m teleporting.

“Long story short, my actions spoke much louder than words. Is there any place I can hide before I disappear?” I demand. She gestures to the carriage that brought us in. I make a dash for it, the shadows creeping up my ankle the entire time. I just manage to dive into the carriage when it sweeps up my face.

I crash into a wooden wall. Quite painfully, as my nose breaks on contact with it. The quick trickle of blood comes to a quick halt. It still smarts a little bit as I rub at it. At least it’s dark out, so maybe I won’t be so obviously seen. If someone dislikes magic, it’s going to be a problem if they see an obvious teleport and my face heals instantly. As I sit up, I realize that I’m caught out by a pair of people. 

A boy holding two oars with a woman at the head of a small boat. She has golden lines on her cheek, while she is garbed in black and gold. Her hair is tied up very tightly against her head. A golden necklace with circles and bars rest against her collar. Her shoulders are bare, but her wrists are covered in a red material. The boy behind her has tightly braided hair all over his head. He wears a similar look to the woman, only his golden lines make the corner of squares on his cheeks. He also has a dark tattoo all over his right arm. I freeze, not knowing what to do.

_ Well, this is unexpected.  _ Starshadow snarks in my head.

_ No kidding. _

“What are you doing aboard this vessel?” The woman snaps, quickly pulling the boy behind her. 

“Uh, I don’t know. My name is Leilah, this is my bonded Starshadow.” I decide to introduce myself. They seem rather tense. Granted I did just appear out of nowhere in front of them, so that might be what’s setting them on edge.

“I do not care about your names. What do you think you are doing on this vessel?” There’s a bit of panic in her voice. I can’t help but reach for my hair to play with.

“Um, uh, I’m not sure. Why? What’s so bad?”

“You were not sanctioned to come with us to the Shadow Isles. Turn back.” The woman orders.

“We are almost done, Mother. She should be safe if she remains here.” The boy speaks up. That’s when Starshadow balks. I’m almost afraid when I feel how cold he’s gotten.

“I’m sorry, did you just say the Shadow Isles?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, the end of the Demacia chapter leads into the Shadow Isles. Oh, I am SO excited for the next arc! Literally 3 postings until I unveil my masterpiece!.. I mean... Ahem... It's going to be a short arc because survival on the Shadow Isles is not going to go smoothly, but... Ah whatever, just know that the next few chapters are going to be... interesting with Leilah on the shadow Isles. The beginning of it is inspired from the cinematic with Thresh, so feel free to look at it to... refresh yourself.
> 
> Who guessed that Sylas would have kissed the girl? Raise of hands? Maybe reviews? *hint hint*. This is an arc that I wanted to show that even when everything is against her, Leilah will do what she believes to be right. The king respects that, which is why she still has her title. That, and he wants her snake to protect them...
> 
> So, my ordinary readers, I grant thee, an extraordinary day, for thee... are in it. XD (I am happy to take suggestions for how to end my chapters, there's only so many ways I can wish you guys an extraordinary day without repetition... though I've already probably done that...:D)


	57. First Day on the Shadow Isles

**TRIGGER WARNING: THERE IS A PART IN THIS CHAPTER THAT DOES HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF GRAPHIC IMAGERY! I WILL MARK THE ROUGH LOCATION SO YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ IT.**

"What, are you doing here?" The woman demands.

"I have no idea." I repeat myself.

"We kinda just appear here." Starshadow nods his head with me.

"Is that a talking snake?" The boy asks.

"No, I'm a celestial, not a talking snake." Starshadow retorts. I look around me and notice that the boat we're in has a golden dome over it. I look over the edge of the boat. The water is incredibly calm, only the ripples from the boat signals that we are moving. Mist blocks the rest of the view. My eyes widen excitedly.

"This is a boat! I've never been on one!" I squeal. Silence rings on the boat. I just sit down sheepishly and look at them, my hand going to play with my hair. The woman looks at me curiously.

"How old are you, child?" She asks.

"Oh, between nineteen and twenty, I think." I tell her.

"You look like a teenager." She observes.

"Yeah, I'm not expected to grow much more than this." My hand just does not want to leave my hair, I'm that nervous.

"Why have you appeared before us?" She asks. I clear my throat.

"You're going to want my help soon." I state.

"I was given this honour from the Sentinels of Light. I do not need assistance." The boy protests.

"Sentinels of Light?" I ask.

"How can you plan to journey with us if you do not know what we are going for?" The woman scoffs.

"Well, that's my usual thing whenever I go somewhere new. You said we are going to the Shadow Isles?" I try to get the topic back on hand, away from me.

"The light must be given to prevent the Harrowing from happening." The woman explains. I rub my temples.

"I was raised in Targon and I've never heard of Harrowing. Can you explain that to me?" I ask.

"The undead will travel all across Runeterra if we do not keep it at bay." She explains. I blink.

"Did you say undead?"

"Yeah. Stick by whoever's going to restore the light, Leilah. They will need it." Starshadow shivers. I look at my bonded.

"Why?"

"I was alive when the Blessed Isles fell to Ruination. Well, in the stars. I have no idea what happened to the place, but I remember that this place, once filled with so much light, became so dark out of nowhere. They fell to shadow, and everyone in the black mist was shrouded from view."

"A foolish king wished to bring his wife back, but she was far too gone to save her. No one knows what happened, but a horrible disaster struck the Isles, turning it from a beacon of light to a place of lost souls." The woman fills in some of the blanks. "Everything in the Shadow Isles should remain there. And it is the Sentinel of Light's duty to protect Runeterra."

"Is there any more to the tale?" I ask.

"The only people who would be able to tell you are those who lived it, and they are shrouded in the mist." The woman states. "Quiet now. We are approaching." She says.

"Approaching what?" I ask.

"The ruins of Helia." The boy says. He resumes rowing. I sit up and look outside. The Mist parts before my eyes. I feel a shiver down my back.

The ruins of Helia appear before us. Nothing has stood the Ruination. It's a black, colorless world with ghostly blues seeping around us. A ship is beached to our right, it's sails completely torn and unable to be used. To our left is a chapel of some sorts, but it's broken. Weathered walls of homes crumble in the distance. Mountains far away are not as much of a comfort to me as Mount Targon. In fact, I get the opposite feeling. The full moon seems to watch us. I take a large gulp.

"What are you doing, kid?" Starshadow asks. I snap my head around to see the boy put his hand outside the golden dome. Almost instantly a blue-green mist floats from his hand. It isn't long before a ghost appears. I scramble as far away as I can. Starshadow enlarges himself enough to keep the boat steady but provides sufficient threat. The spectre straightens before charging at the boy. It slams against the dome, rocking the boat. I struggle to remember how to breathe. The boy looks at his hand and clenches it.

"Perhaps you are not ready." The woman states, almost comforted by the thought that her son would not leave the boat afterall.

"The Black Mists are reaching further across the waters every year. I can't let that happen." The boy responds calmly. He gets up from his rowing spot to stand behind the womanI widen my eyes considerably. The boat remains silent while I process what just happened.

"That is what your Father said." The woman remarks.

"I'll relight the wards and come right back." The boy promises. "I must do this. For him." The woman turns and kisses the boy's head.

"Go" she tells him, sounding reluctant yet proud. We dock at a ruined beach. He gets out of the boat, bringing a lantern of some sorts. I jump out as well. I look down at my hands and almost stare at them. They are almost glowing every color imaginable. I look over to Starshadow. He, too, glows.

"Why am I glowing rainbows when the boy was glowing green?" I murmur to Starshadow.

 _Must be the magical beings part coming through. We don't know enough about the Shadow Isles to really tell._ Starshadow says in my head. _Stay with the boy. I feel like something bad is going to happen._

 _Right._ I hasten my pace so I match the boy's. His lantern is keeping the ghosts away. Staying away from the lantern does not seem like a good idea. Especially since I don't know what the difference between our glowing means.

We come into a circle with a pillar on it. The boy pulls up his lantern and tips it. I watch as golden light pours onto a pillar. It glows brighter until it eventually creates a dome around him. He looks out. I look back and notice all the spots with a golden light. The light connects to each other, much like whenever I create a borealis. That must have been where he's been, keeping the Shadow Isles at bay, but it's more of a warning and a shield than a beacon of hope… though maybe it's both. I glance down at my hands. Maybe my magic can do something similar… if that's the case, then maybe my magic will be useful on the Isles.

"Hello?" The boy asks. I almost shriek and turn to look at him. He's looking out in the distance, almost trying to find something. "Father?" He asks. He's looking like he's about to leave the circle. I grab the boy's arm before he leaves.

"We need to head back to the boat." I remind him urgently. Even if my magic was a perfect counter to this place, I really don't want to be here longer than I have to. He shrugs me off and walks to the barrier. I see a spectral being walk deeper into the ruins. The boy looks back for only a moment before he walks out. I try to hold him back.

"Let me go. I think I saw my Father." He spits.

"It's not safe." I whisper to him. He jerks his arm out.

"I need to see if it's my father." The boy snaps. He walks away. I whimper a bit before following him. I have to run to catch up as he started to jog to get to the spectre. We follow the ghost into a chapel. I look around to see some pillar rocks floating about. A disk is cracked, with blue mist radiating from the ground.

"I really don't think you should be here." I whisper. The boy ignores me, in favor of following the ghost. I groan and follow him too. Afterall, it's better to be in groups. I think...

The boy leads us through black trees, empty of leaves and life. I try to follow the boy into a chapel, but something calls me away. Each step I take closer to the dark twisted building, the feeling grows. Eventually, I can't resist it anymore. It feels like I'm being called, only it's not Zoe dragging me anywhere. It's something else.

I walk off the pathway to look closely at the courtyard, though I'm incredibly nervous about the Isles. Dead bushes line a pathway to a large tree. The tree is somehow different. There's a ghostliness to it. Like it's both dead and alive. I touch it, and shriek as a blue glow leaves the branch. I poke it again, and it does nothing to me. If anything, the light seems to brighten to a whiter color. I press my hand against the branch. I feel my magic surge forward. Something… is calling it. That's when I feel it. The magic of the Isles. It's lost, afraid, angry, overwhelming. I almost want to pull away when another feeling comes forward. Curious. Hopeful. Fevered. I try to pull away my hand, but it feels stuck. I can't… I can't yank myself off!

 _Leilah, what did you do?_ Starshadow bursts out from my scarf, alarmed. When he makes his appearance, the branch lets me go, though not without an injury. I hiss and yank my hand back. I look closely at where my injury appeared. There's a line of rainbow in my palm. I hiss, the pain delayed. I look up at the branch and widen my eyes. There's a leaf, a healthy, glowing leaf, on a twig. I want to touch it. _Didn't you learn your lesson last time?_

 _Something's odd about this, Starshadow. Look._ I touch it. The leaf glows. More leaves erupt from the branch. I wince as more cuts slice into my fingers. The tip of my finger drips blood. Starshadow slithers up my arm and yanks my hand away. It feels wrong to pull it away. My vision tunnels to look directly at the tree. Nothing else matters. It needs me.

 _It's taking your blood with it, Leilah! Stop it!_ Starshadow tugs me away. I stare at the leaves, hypnotized.

"It needs me. It feels… content. Happy. Hungry. And I can feed it." I slur. Starshadow's tail taps my cheek and I look in a different direction for a moment. I can't let go of the tree. No, I won't let go. "It needs me."

"Not at the cost of you." Starshadow snaps. He's rubbing my cheek with his tail. He puts his face right in front of mine. His eyes look dim compared to the tree. I have to see it, to touch it. It needs me. I need to give it sustenance. My magic is making him happy, hopeful, alive. I need to keep giving it. I need to.

"It needs me." I chant quietly. One second, I'm standing, the next I'm on the ground. I touch my nose and pull away. It's dripping red. I look around. The tree still stands there, unmoving. It almost gazes back at me. I sluggishly reach out before I collapse. I don't have the strength.

"Leilah, wake up! This isn't you!" Starshadow hisses, his dimmed face squarely in mine. I try to look around him to the glow. He bares his fangs as he snaps around.

"Leave my bonded alone! You'll kill her!" Starshadow hisses furiously. The tree's glow entices me. I struggle to move. I feel like my magic is being pulled out of me.

"NEED THE LIGHT." A groan echoes in my head. It's intoxicating. I almost sigh at hearing it. I feel ridges on Starshadow erupt. He glows a bright red, a huge contrast to the blue and black. My head clears a little bit.

"You may need help, but never at the cost of someone else! Especially not her." Starshadow spits. His body wraps around mine protectively. I blink and rub my temples.

"Starshadow?" I whisper.

"That thing is doing something to your mind. I don't like it." Starshadow informs me quickly, his body glowing like Daamien's body. I blink as my head clears a bit more.

"Wha-"

"NEED LIGHT." The tree shifts, standing up. It's blue ghostly eyes stare at me. I feel something nudge my mind. I close my eyes and press my fingers deeper into my temple.

"Please stop." I whimper. It's like the golden figure on the top of Mount Targon. The nudging vanishes. I finally take an uneasy breath and push myself to my knees. Starshadow ducks his head under me to help. His red glow provides some comfort and helps me clear my head. I glance up at the creature before us. It does not try to entice me again.

"NEED HELP." It groans. I blink. "MY HOME NEEDS HELP."

"...The Shadow Isles is your home?" Starshadow asks, sounding confused.

"BLESSED. NOW SHADOW. BLESS." It moans, reaching for me. The part of Starshadow that supports me immediately changes from his head to his tail as he enlarges. I just fall onto him as he faces the threat.

"Back off, tree!" Starshadow hisses, spreading his neck. He looks terrifying. The tree stops and tilts his head.

"MAOKAI." He mutters. Starshadow backs slightly, almost in shock.

"The treant?"

"Starshadow?" I feel out of the loop.

"The treant of the Blessed Isles, turning them into beauty and wisdom enough to rival Shurima. You were once on the Blessed Isles. Well, an older soul of you, according to Aurora. Thankfully, you died before the Ruination, so you could exist."

"What?"

"Doesn't matter. But to think, the Treant survived." Starshadow's ridges decrease, but don't go away. He knows our opponent, and he still thinks we may fight. Or Maokai would possess me. Though, it doesn't exactly feel like it's the treant that wanted to do it, but it was necessary... "How did you even manage to hypnotize her? You don't have that ability."

"WATER." Maokai groans. Starshadow gasps.

"What is happening, Starshadow?" I groan.

"What happened that day, Maokai?" Starshadow ignores me.

"BETRAYAL." He groans. A little sapling pops out. He throws it at us. Starshadow reacts instantly, whacking it away with his tail. It squeals as it soars away.

"You would speak of betrayal when you would do something like that?" Starshadow hisses. His tail tip twitches irritably as he sets me on the ground. He places me down so that I could see what was behind us. The boy stands there, looking sorrowful, panicked and… blue?"

 _Starshadow, I don't think he was fighting us._ I mumble in his head. Starshadow's tail instantly reacts, wrapping it around my arm and tugging me away. Just in time too. A hook flies through the air, landing right where I was. Starshadow's form grows ridges again. I hear groaning come closer. The boy looks horrified as his form disappears. It flies into the black mist, disappearing before my eyes. I look around.

"What was that?" Starshadow demands.

"WARDEN." Maokai groans. Another little thing appears in his hand cackling. Starshadow shifts me to lie down between the two of them. I want to groan and get up, but Starshadow's just too big for me to handle and move. I huff and just lie there. At least I can watch. Maybe… with all the magic I've been using to heal myself, then maybe I can use a little to help him if he needs it. There's a deep, crazed cackle. My eyes widen and I whimper. Starshadow, being the amazing annoying bonded he is, wraps his tail around me protectively.

"Show yourself!" Starshadow hisses furiously. The mist rolls, uneasy. A spectre comes flying at us. It launches itself at me when a branch runs through it. It screams as it dissipates. I want to throw up. It sounded like it was immense pain. That makes me want to reach out and help it, but I can barely twitch my fingers.

 _Starshadow, if you are listening, I am going to make sure you enjoy good old Targonian hospitality, my Father's courtesy._ I threaten, irritated that I can't move. He instantly shrinks a bit, remembering how his first interaction with my Father was like. At least now I can roll and dodge whatever comes my way, even if Starshadow's impressive defence is going to be hindered. Better a moving target than a still one, though. At least I won't be relying on Starshadow completely.

"Did you have to say that?" Starshadow grumbles. "I don't need another massive knife trying to chop off my head."

_It's not like you would have responded any other way._

"You could have just asked."

_Like we've ever done that._

"Fair enough." Starshadow relents with a sigh before returning to a defensive position. Maokai reaches down and picks me up. I yelp as he does so. Starshadow balks before dashing up the roots.

**\------Scene with the worst of the imagery---------- There are details in here, so I can just put in the summary what happened.**

"LEAVE!" Maokai roars. There's a deep, dark laughter before a hook soars out of the mist, hooked right into my ankle. I scream in pain. Starshadow immediately snaps his head and bites at the chain. He doesn't even leave a single mark. I feel the hook pull on me. I cling tightly to Maokai. Starshadow shrinks so I have more strength available to me. Still, it's almost hopeless. I just start to let go when Maokai notices the issue. He grabs the hook and tears it out. My blood drips on the ground as my magic struggles to heal me. I glance down to see a massive hole in my ankle. I almost throw up again. It's one thing to not see something be removed. It's another to see the aftermath. What's more interesting is that as my blood falls, the area turns less black. I spot a little bit of plant life grow. I blink, stunned, before looking at Starshadow.

**\----------**

"What was that?" I ask.

_Not the time for it, Leilah! We gotta scoot out of here like Aurelion Sol is chasing us!_

"How fast is that?"

 _Pretty darn fast. He's a star dragon. Big enough to hold Runeterra in the palm of his hand._ Starshadow deadpans.

"Fair enough."

"HOLD ON." Maokai groans before the ground almost seems to swallow us. Only to Maokai, he glides through. I clutch onto his branches tightly, holding beyond everything else that I have the strength to hold on. I feel the rocks smack into my hand, battering them. One particular rock knocks into my head and I lose consciousness.

* * *

I come to eventually. First thing I think of is pure pain. I wince at the throbbing in my ankle and check it. The hole's shrunk down, but it's not gone. Not completely. I wince at the pain in my hands. They are covered in blood and scratch marks. Thankfully those have already closed. My magic should be able to handle the rest… Though it's much slower than it should have healed. I pull myself out of the ground and cough out the dust.

**\-----Bit of a graphic scene here, but it's mild. Still, I wanna give you warning to make sure no one gets triggered-----**

_You ok, Leilah?_ Starshadow groans. I look around for him. I see a little head peeking out a little bit farther down Maokai's path. His scales are covered in dust. I painfully crawl my way to him and help him out of the ground. I look away when I notice that he lost the tip of his tail, but it seems to be growing back.

"I'm alive. There's still a hole in my ankle, so I'm not going to be moving anywhere quickly anytime soon." I inform him.

 _There's blood on your face, Leilah._ Starshadow helpfully informs me. He lifts his tail up to wipe it away when he sees it's gone. He just stares, not sure how to comprehend it.

"It'll grow back, Starshadow. It's already healing, see?" I comfort him and point out new shiny scales.

 _...This is horrible. My beautiful tail! I'm incomplete! Don't look at me, I'm hideous!_ Starshadow wails, burying his head into the ground. He makes an odd twitch, lifting his injury to the sky. I blink before rolling my eyes at his theatrics.

"Starshadow, you are a celestial with a healer in your body. I'm pretty sure that you won't be hideous for long. And why do you even care about what you look like? No one ever sees you!" I tease.

 _Just because others aren't worthy of seeing my beauty doesn't mean that I cannot remain so._ Starshadow sniffs. I poke the base of his tail. He lets out this hiss screech noise and recoils. I notice a little bit of a tear form in the corner of his eye as he carefully folds himself up to protect his still bleeding wound.

"Starshadow, I know it hurts. I know you're being a drama queen to deal with it. Come over here." I beckon. Starshadow slowly slinks towards me, wincing from his tail touching the ground. I feel bad for him, so I pick him up as soon as I can reach him. I bite my lip and hold a hand over his tail. My hand glows brightly from my magic, sensing that I needed to help and answering my call. It flows around Starshadow's missing tail. Before our eyes, his tail regrows. I was mistaken about how much tail he lost. It's a solid half foot before it stops growing. I sigh and groan as a wave of exhaustion washes over me. Never done that before, forcing a regrow before our magic does it for us.

**\---------Last bit of graphic violence, I promise... at least for this chapter.--------------**

_...Thank you, Leilah. You want to rest?_ Starshadow sounds sincere now, not laced with pain. I shake my head and cast the magic on myself. The wound disappears under my nurturing magic. There's a sense of pride in the magic as it disappears. I almost smile. That would be Daamien, pleased that I can actually handle his magic appropriately. Maybe he'll come see me more often now, teach me something about my magic.

"I'll be ok. We need to find a place to rest safely first." I try to stand up but immediately stumble. Starshadow's prepared for it, growing just large enough to help stabilize me. He lets me lean against his head as we walk away.

Where we dropped of is barren for the most part. I search for a place Starshadow and I can call a shelter. Problem is, it's all flat. It's familiar and so different at the same time. The little raises in the ground just tease at my mind.

 _Well, as much as I want to find a place to sleep safely, we are definitely going to have a bit of a problem. Considering this place is all flat and no cover._ Starshadow snarks. I finally know what I'm looking at.

"No… It's farmland. And if this was farmland, there's a barn." I whisper excitedly. I don't even realize how excited I am until a little white guiding light appears. I almost laugh in excitement. _Thank you, Aurora._ There's a barn a little ways off. I can see it. I almost scoop Starshadow up as I hobble towards our destination. Starshadow dodges my attempt. He happily helps me run instead, practically turning me into his personal marionette. I can't complain, he is helping me stay on my feet.

We reach the barn in what I would almost consider record time, though Starshadow can't keep up his size if I'm going to be able to stay on my feet. My magic was drained quite a bit. He's forced to shrink down to the size of my wrist. He grabs the door at the same time I do and attempts to help. I manage to pull the giant door open somehow and almost squeal. It's clean. It's like home. If only there was hay… though I have no doubt those were taken care of over the centuries this place has been in disarray. I shiver at the thought of what happened here. Everything just seems so… listless, like they are missing something. I frown and go back to the fields. There's something calling me out here. Like I'm needed. Like someone is looking for me...

 _Leilah, not this again._ Starshadow groans. I look back at the small mounds in the field and think for a moment. Maybe… maybe my blood does something to this place… And since I don't know how long I'm going to be here, I need to make sure that I can survive. The mounds… there might still be seeds. Maybe I can grow some food. With that in mind, I look around for anything sharp. Somehow there isn't anything sharp. How a barn doesn't have anything sharp is absolutely beyond me, especially if it is so degraded.

"Starshadow, do you have anything sharp?" I ask.

 _Besides my teeth? I'm not risking my tail getting sliced off again, thank you!_ Starshadow snaps.

"I want to see why my blood made that tree come to life." I whisper.

_Not risking it while you just healed yourself and are looking more dead than the spectres around here._

"Oh, that's kind of you." I simper before face planting into the ground. _Maybe you have a point._

_Maybe? I'll keep watch. You just rest._

_Shouldn't I move to the barn?_

_You should, but neither of us can manage. Don't worry, Leilah. I've been protecting you for years now. I can protect you._

_I hate you._ I smile as I allow myself to go unconscious for the second time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so for those that are more sensitive to material, the two scenes... the first scene was Thresh's hook spiking Leilah's Ankle. her blood dripped onto the ground and a flower emerged. The second scene is Starshadow lost a large part of himself. If you want a size comparison what he would be at this point... he's around two feet long. That's a quarter of him gone. Naturally he's being a drama queen to not worry Leilah, but she's a sweetheart and would happily sacrifice a much needed resource called magic to make sure that Starshadow's ok. 
> 
> Any way, We are on the shadow Isles! I did want to try to save the boy originally, the one from the shadow Isles Legends of Runeterra cinematic, but in the end I decided against it. I wanted Leilah to interact with the Isles because I want to start a mystery and holy hell there is some exploring needed to be done. With that, she couldn't be with the boy.
> 
> So, what is calling Leilah? What has robbed her of her senses? What made her submit? Maokai doesn't have a charm or a possession... I wonder why he was able to affect her? And she hasn't officially met the chain Warden. She hasn't seen him yet. That'll come later... not sure how much later, but later. Until then, She's going to attempt to survive on the Isles.
> 
> As always, have an extraordinary day in the form of Valentine's day! You are all wonderful people, with souls so bright that I'm sure if I met you in person, I would be blind. May you express the love you feel for anything in the best way possible. Your love for your partner, friend, pet, may they inspire you to become the extraordinary person you can be!


	58. Start of a Mystery

**The Shadow Isles arc will feature a few gory details. warning is advised.**

**Also, disclaimer.**

_Leilah? Leilah, wake up._ I feel Starshadow's head nudge me gently. I groan as my eyes flutter open. I blink and want to immediately snap them shut. I'm still on the isles. _Why couldn't we have teleported ourselves out?_

"I think Daamien hates me." I grumble as I push myself up. Physically, I'm perfect, but magically and spiritually, I feel drained.

_No, he doesn't. You ok?_

"I'm feeling a little tired."

 _Well, you didn't doze off for long. There's someone else here._ Starshadow warns me. I rub the sleepiness from my eyes and stand up. I look around, trying to see what Starshadow sees. He slithers up my body, just as tired as I am, and curls into my scarf. _Behind the barn._

"You want to doze off?" I offer.

_I shouldn't. You may need me to watch your back._

"I'll be alright, Starshadow. Besides, we both can't be constantly exhausted in this place. You get some rest. I'll wake you up if there's trouble."

_...You can't be logical like that!_

"Rest, Starshadow." I command, pulling at his magic.

"Traitor." Starshadow mumbles before he drops off to sleep like a candle being blown out. He snores too. Little whispery ones. His little head nods a bit, his mouth opening and closing like he's eating. A shiver runs up my spine, telling me to run far and never look back.I smile uneasily and pat his head before forcing myself to go to the barn. I barely get close enough to it before I fall on against the rotting wood. It creaks ominously, like it wants to collapse. By some miracle, it doesn't. It just groans. I keep pushing myself forward, to find who made Starshadow uneasy.

I peek around the barn only for a bolt of blue light to zoom past my face. I yelp and duck behind the little cover I have. More blue bolts appear, piercing the frail wood easily. Somehow, none of them hit me. The adrenaline coursing through me makes me tuck and roll. Just in time, too. One of the lights would have shot through my head if I didn't. I gasp for breath and check to see if Starshadow was still sleeping. He must have been absolutely exhausted as he's still softly snoring. I glance back up to stare at our visitor. It's a female dressed in armor, but she's ghostly. Her purple plumed helmet stands tall and proud on her head. Her eyes glow a sinister blue. I blink, noticing her torso and back. The blue bolts she's been throwing at me, they're not bolts. They're spears, in her body? And it looks like she's throwing another one _._

**\-----------bit of violence. Summary at the bottom.-------------**

" _You have earned your fate"_ She says so calmly, like she is satisfied that I will die. Her voice seems to be made of so many voices. Men, women, children. She throws her spear at my chest. I quickly conjure a shield with a borealis. It stops less than an inch away from my face. I gasp and let it drop. She pulls her hand back, the spear reappearing in her hand. I turn around and try to run. A spear rips through my thigh painfully. I scream and fall down. Black pain floods my vision. That seems to wake Starshadow up.

 _Leilah? You o- WHAT THE HELL DID I MISS?_ Starshadow reacts instinctively, taking my magic away to defend me. He hisses at her, but he can't grow large enough to really defend me. I try to keep moving, but the spear dug itself into the ground. I'm pinned. I turn around to see the spirit walk towards me, another spear called to her hand. Starshadow looks desperate, still not a good size to defend us, but he can't leave me. The ground under my pinned leg starts to grow a little flower, quickly evolving into a strawberry. I bite my lip and twist around my thigh. More blood spills from it. I grit my teeth and wipe some of my blood onto my hands. As she is about to throw her spear, I fling my hand. Droplets land on her armor and face.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

She stops moving, the blue sheen on her face becoming more tangible. Her glowing eyes dim a bit, turning a brownish blue color. I even make out pupils in her eyes. She looks at me and drops the spear in her hand. She walks towards me, tall as possible. I try to yank myself away, but the spear in my leg won't let me move. She reaches down and… pulls it out. I struggle to hold in a scream, but I manage. Still, I almost black out from the pain a second time. She seems to take out some bandages and wrap them around my ankle.

" _Miss, are you ok?"_ She asks. She checks everything else on me. I feel like I experienced whiplash from her sudden personality change. I glance at my companion, who's clearly infuriated that my blood decreases the Black Mist's hold on these Isles. Maokai is right. I'm needed here. But I won't sacrifice myself to save everyone. There has to be another way.

"Uh, yeah, uh." I stammer, realizing that I'm far too quiet.

" _I am Kahlista of the Iron Order. What happened to you?"_ She sounds cognizant. I wave my hand in front of her face.

"I… I was attacked. You helped pull them off." I fib. I don't know how long Kahlista will be friendly. I have to keep her calm and in her presence until then.

" _...These looks like Iron Order spears… They should never attack a civilian."_ She grumbles. I take the chance to smear more of my blood on her face. She flails as I make contact. Her features become a little bit more human, more alive than before, but there's still that faint sheen of death around her.

"Kahlista?" I ask quietly. She looks at me, her eyes clear.

" _Is there anything you need, miss?"_ She sounds so human now. There's almost no distortion.

"Uh, yes actually. Where are we?" I ask shyly, curious to see what she thinks is happening right now.

" _We're on the Blessed Isles. My uncle will heal my Aunt. The queen, she's so sick."_ Khalista tells me. I blink, noticing that she didn't look around her to see this hell.

"What's the Blessed Isles going to do?" I probe.

" _The waters are said to heal life itself. I hope the king gets her there in time."_ He tries to help me. One of her spears pokes me in my stomach. I grimace at the new blood on me. She glances down and frowns. " _What is- No."_

"Khalista?" I ask. She's frantic, terrified. It seems like she's finally broken free of her delusions. I'm worried that she'll attack us. Starshadow slithers between us.

" _Ledros. Uncle Viego. Aunt Isolde. They're all dead, aren't they?"_ Khalista sounds so broken and sad. She starts to sob. I carefully maneuver myself to comfort her. A tall warrior of old times is leaning into a teenage frame of a young girl for comfort her. If my parents could see me now.

"I'm afraid I don't know who they are." I whisper. I don't know how to help her.

" _What happened here?"_ She finally gets over her tears and looks around. I sigh.

"I was hoping you'd tell me."

" _I don't know. What I remember, I went to Helia and learned how to save the queen, but the queen died before I could bring her back. Hecarim, the temporary leader of the Iron Order, convinced me to lead us to Helia. He brought up how badly my uncle was taking it. That I should help. So I brought them to Helia. Helia denied his plea, and he ordered me to kill everyone in his path. Even if he was grieving, children do not deserve to be killed. I refused. Then I was… I was stabbed over and over again by Hecarim. My uncle didn't even care."_ Khalista actually starts to cry. I rub her shoulder.

"What happened after that?"

" _I woke up to this. What happened?"_ Khalista sounds confused. Her voice starts to distort again. She shakes her head. " _Everything is getting blurry."_ She whispers. My eyes widen and I quickly look for more of my blood to smear. I didn't think that my magic was only temporary, so my injuries have already healed. I'm a little bit more tired than before. I glance at her and press my hands against her head. " _What are you doing?"_

"Do you remember your life as a spirit?"

" _Yes."_

"What caused you to attack her?" Starshadow asks desperately.

" _You called her a traitor and confirmed the pledge. Though, you are not dead."_ Khalista points at him. I think about what he said and almost want to slap him.

"Starshadow, you called me a traitor for making you sleep and nodded your head." I grit out. "That must have started the pledge."

"She's not a traitor! Can I deny the pledge?" Starshadow pleads.

" _... I don't know. Most of the ones I kill for are dead."_ Khalista sounds just as curious. Her eyes are losing their pupils.

"I reject the pledge! I don't want it anymore?" Starshadow tries everything he can think of to reject the pledge. Nothing decreases the anxiety in my core. I cut my hand on the spear in her stomach and smear my hand on her arm. The glow lessens, and she looks like she can see properly. Starshadow hisses furiously.

" _What is your blood?"_ Khalista asks.

"No idea, but my blood restores you. You looked like you were going to go crazy. I needed to ask you a few things about this place." I say urgently.

" _I'm not sure what else I can help you with."_ Khalista sounds a little bit unsure. Her feet turn blue.

"I need to know what the worst things on these Isles are."

" _Be wary of three. The Chain Warden, the Horseman, and the Ruined King. All will attempt to kill or collect you. You might get some help from Ledros, the Shepherd of Souls, and the Treant."_

"We've already met Maokai, but we got knocked off earlier. What about the Shepherd?"

" _Unknown. All I know is that we cannot touch him. I also didn't exactly care much."_ Khalista shrugs her shoulders. The glow returns a little bit quicker than before. Her eyes start to cloud. She looks down at her hands and watches them become transparent. She looks up at me healing hand. She looks like she wants more of my blood, maybe enough to restore her. Starshadow remains calm, though, letting me know what kind of person she was. She'd never hurt an innocent. She shakes her head before looking into my eyes, hope shining brightly. " _Will you help stop this?"_

"I'll try my best, Khalista. I'll help you find the peace you deserve." I promise quietly. She smiles.

" _Thank you. Pledge rejected."_ She claims. I don't know exactly what happened, but my core responds to that. No longer do I feel like I'm hunted. She looks at me, wary. " _Did it work?"_

"Yeah. I'm not going to be hunted anymore. Thank you." I murmur.

" _Save us all."_ She whispers before the magic of my blood wears off. She stands up, a spirit consumes by obsession.

" _We are vengeance."_ She proclaims, her voice distorted beyond her own. She walks away, not even noticing that I'm here. I sigh and slump against the barn. Starshadow seems repentant.

"New rule. We don't tease each other on the Shadow Isles that could possibly call the other traitor." I groan out. Starshadow nods his head frantically.

_I have no idea why that summoned her._

"I, at this point, don't exactly care. I'm more curious about what else has happened here. She didn't know much about the fall of the Shadow Isles either. Makes you wonder, who does know?"

 _Maybe it's that I'm a celestial and that promoted her pledge to accept?_ Starshadow mutters under his breath. _No, that can't be. I wasn't using magic. You pulled- Oh, my Aurora._

"Starshadow?"

_You pulled my magic to make me sleep. You, for all intents and purposes, attempted to kill me. With our magic being illusion based, it's possible that I LOOKED like I was dying and that triggered the pledge._

"You snored in your sleep. I really don't know how that could possibly look like you were dying."

_It's a stretch, ok?_

"It's very clearly a stretch, though it's our only explanation. We got a place to go now. Finding Ledros or the Shepherd." I lie down on my back, completely exhausted.

_You need to rest though._

"What about you?"

_One of us needs to sleep. You hold all our magic. You need to recharge, ok?_

"Strawberries…" I murmur, getting a little sleepy. Starshadow notices the plant still blooming and fruits on it's twigs. He manages to snag a few before it wilts and floats away as ash.

 _Here._ He hands me all six. I gobble them up. It's not enough to fill an empty stomach and core, but I should be able to get enough magic after a little rest so we can keep exploring this place.

"Alright. Wake me up when you summon another person to kill me, ok?" I close my eyes to Starshadow's loud protests.

The next time I wake up, It's just as dark and cloudy as ever. I don't feel super drained, just tired. My stomach rumbles. That's when I realize why I woke up. My stomach needs food. I sigh and sit up. I definitely feel much better after my nap.

 _Sleep well?_ Starshadow's groggy voice echoes in my head. I nod and look over at him. I panic a bit. He's tiny, smaller than my palm. I carefully cradle him in my hands.

"Starshadow?" I almost whimper.

 _I'm giving you my magic. We shouldn't be here for much longer. It's draining us._ Starshadow cautions. He sounds absolutely exhausted. I take off my scarf and tie it like a sash with a little bit of leeway. I carefully deposit my best friend into it. He sighs and snuggles into the scarf. _I'm going to rest. We aren't going to get much magic here. Be careful._

"Stay alive, Starshadow." I whisper before standing up. I crack my neck and shoulders. It's been a while since I've slept on ground that hard. Well, if I ever did. I sigh and start to scrounge for anything not dead to nibble on. I need food. Badly. My stomach practically aches. I close my eyes and concentrate. The ache goes away, but I know that I'm just stalling. The increase in magic use also shortens the amount of magic I can use. I look around for anything edible.

Even if this place is the Shadow Isles, the bark on the trees could be edible. I scrunch up my face as I use magic to help me get to a nearby tree. I'm about to strip it of its bark when I hear someone approach. I whip around. Standing before me is Maokai, offering a little fruit. I happily take it and gobble down the offering. It just tastes like water, but it feels like the best thing I ever ate. My stomach no longer rumbles angrily.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Maokai creaks. I shake my head.

"I got knocked out by a rock." I explain. Maokai nods.

"NOT ALL ARE TREANT." Maokai pats my head before creating another fruit. I eat this one at a slower pace.

"Thank you for the fruit." I whisper. The giant Treant hobbles next to me. I almost feel like I'm bouncing as he walks, his roots are so heavy against the ground.

"YOUR MAGIC WAS FADING. YOU NEEDED MAGIC TO BE GIVEN TO YOU. I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR MILLENIA. I COULD SPARE SOME FOR YOU." Maokai offers me another fruit. I happily take it. Even at only three fruits, I feel much better. I glance at my snake. He's not a small snake anymore. He's almost spilling from my makeshift sling. I stroke his head gently before paying attention to Maokai again.

"Where are we going?" I ask, noticing we were walking in one direction. He lumbers on.

"TO THE SOURCE." Maokai offers his giant arm. I hop on. He places me on his branches carefully. I glance at his branches warily.

"You're not going to take my blood, are you?" I call out to him.

"NO. YOU ARE TOO PRECIOUS TO HURT." He rumbles.

"You didn't have a problem taking my blood before."

"I SENSED THE MAGIC, BUT I NEEDED TO BE SURE."

"Fair enough. Why are you taking care of me?"

"YOU CAN CURE THE MIST." Maokai tells me. I blink.

"...What?"

"YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH. NOT YET. BUT YOUR BLOOD HOLDS THE MAGIC THAT COUNTERS THE MIST."

"How can you tell?"

"LIFE DOES NOT GROW HERE. WHEN YOU TOUCHED MY BRANCH, THE MAGIC FLASHED SOME OF THE DARKNESS AWAY." Maokai tells me.

"...That doesn't make sense."

"TOO MANY MAGICS IN YOU FOR THAT TO BE A COINCIDENCE. LIGHT AND HEALING. THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE MIST."

"Ok, but why am I not growing plants wherever I go then?" I ask. I change where Starshadow rests. I gently pull him from my sash to my lap, retying my scarf around my neck. Starshadow shifts a bit, but remains asleep.

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU. YOU'RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH. NOT YET." Maokai offers another fruit. I take it and twist it in my hands. I don't know how to feel about all this. If what Maokai is saying is true, whatever happened to the Shadow Isles could be restored. The Harrowing, whatever that is, could be stopped.

"How do I get stronger?" I ask. Maokai sighs.

"TIME. YOU WON'T HEAL THIS PLACE IN A DAY. YOU NEED TIME TO GET THE LEVEL OF MAGIC NEEDED TO BLESS THESE ISLES." Maokai sounds so sad. I touch his branches gently.

"I'm sorry I can't help you sooner."

"I'VE WAITED A LONG TIME WITH NO HOPE, LITTLE ONE. NOW THAT I KNOW A CURE IS COMING, I CAN WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER." Maokai shrugs his shoulders. I struggle to hold on. I have no desire to fall off, even if I could use my magic to catch myself.

"Are you sure?"

"CERTAIN."

"Well, what am I going to do until my magic kicks in and I get out of here?" I groan.

"PERHAPS YOU COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLESSED ISLES. IF WE KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT, PERHAPS WE CAN REVERSE IT." Maokai sounds a little hopeful.

"Ok, but who would know what happened? I just talked with Kahlista, apparently a King's niece, and she knew nothing."

"IF THE KING'S OWN TRUSTED DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, WHO DOES?" Maokai sounds just sad as I do.

"Kahlista told me to find people. You were one of them. A shepherd and a guy named Ledros were the other two. She also told me to be careful of the chain warden, the horseman, and the Ruined King. Any idea who they are?" I try to help a bit.

"WE DO NOT OFTEN SPEAK NAMES. SOME NAMES HAVE POWER HERE." The treant snorts.

"Really? What, if I say, 'Maokai', you'd know?"

"YES. IT WAS HOW I FOUND YOU AGAIN." Maokai almost sounds like he's deadpanning.

"...Oh."

"ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?"

"Where are we going?"

"TO THE SOURCE."

"What's the Source?"

"THE SOURCE OF THE WATER OF LIFE. PERHAPS WE CAN TELL SOMETHING FROM IT." Maokai rumbles. I nod and just relax into his branches. I look up at the sky. It's still dark, no stars in the sky, only the moon. I frown, thinking. I've been here long enough to sleep. I've also been here long enough for my stomach to ache. Shouldn't day have come around by now?

"Maokai?" I call out. His branches creak loudly. "When was the last time there was sun?"

"CENTURIES." Maokai sounds a little sad.

"What about stars?"

"CENTURIES." Maokai repeats. I feel sad for him. From what I remember from my life before I became an Aspect, plants need light to grow.

"You haven't had lights here for centuries?" I start to cry.

"I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE STARS OR SUN LOOKS LIKE." Maokai confesses. I wipe my eyes and throw my hand up to the sky. It's probably not the best idea, but I want to do something for him. A bright borealis appears before us. Maokai stops moving for a moment. Bright yellows, greens, and blues bath the Shadow Isles in light. I flick my fingers and stars glitter in the sky. The branches around me sway contently.

"...THANK YOU."

"You're welcome, Maokai." I whisper before relaxing against his branches. The illusion in the stars comfort me greatly as they are the stars of Targon.

Maokai keeps up his pace, though he stops at a tall ridge every now and then to look at the sky. I feel my magic core slowly get more and more tired, but if it makes him smile, I'll use all of it. A few hours pass by in silence. Well, relative silence. Starshadow mutters in his sleep, talking about steam buns and yummy roasts. I laugh each time he whines that it's too spicy in his mouth. Apparently, my companion hates the thought of his mouth burning and it haunts him to think that he would eat something spicy. Good to know.

Eventually, Maokai takes us to a basin. It's overflowing with black water, Black mist shimmering above it. It's almost terrifying to be there. My borealis fades away. Maokai groans. I create one of my little butterflies and let it fly into the mist. I feel it get consumed within seconds of entering. I nudge my companion awake.

"Starshadow, time to wake up."

 _Five more centuries, Leilah. I just got to sleep._ Starshadow whines. I giggle a little bit.

"No, Starshadow. Time to wake up." I coax. He lifts his head finally. "Someone's not a morning person."

 _It's not morning here._ Starshadow grumbles.

"YOU HAVE SLEPT FOR HOURS, SNAKE." Maokai informs my companion. Starshadow holds still, like he's blinking, before looking up.

"Leilah was out for a while herself. Day should have come around by now." Starshadow remarks.

"I thought so too. There hasn't been a day here, let alone stars. Only the moon."

"The moon? Why is only the moon visible?" Starshadow sounds incredibly curious.

"... I NEVER THOUGHT THAT STRANGE. WHY ONLY THE MOON IS VISIBLE?" Maokai comments. I tilt my head as well.

"Maokai, do you remember what the world was like before everything was ruined?" I ask.

"BEAUTIFUL. ALWAYS GLOWING WITH LIFE."

"And now everything is dead..." I shiver. There's a small glint of something in the mist. It looks like I could touch it. Starshadow notices where my focus is and somehow manages to gray himself.

_No. No, you do not touch that._

"Maokai, have you seen that before?" I ask, pointing at the light. Maokai looks where I do.

"WHAT LIGHT DO YOU SPEAK OF?" He asks. I point to him, but he does not seem to see it. I creep forward.

_Leilah, no touching._

"But Maokai doesn't see it. Why doesn't he?"

_Probably nothing good._

"I want to know, Starshadow." I get close enough to the mist that I can feel it prick at my skin. The light glows a little brighter. I pull a bit of my magic and make the mist retreat from my light. Starshadow jumps onto my leg and slithers to my neck before I'm swallowed. My feet get damp and sticky when I walk into the liquid. It feels like it's trying to pull me in. I scrunch up my nose and use my shadow steps while maintaining my glow. With myself taken care of, I get close to the light. It's a glowing marking. It's white and a little bit scratched. Other markings glow as well. I can barely make them out through the mist.

_They're runes, Leilah._

"Runes for what?"

_Well, it's not like I read runes, but if this is what Maokai thinks it is, then this is where we purify the Black Mist._

"He said we were too weak to heal it."

 _We don't need to heal it, just think about what we can use to restore it. Look for markings that are missing or changed. Runes are definitely powerful and something to be extremely careful of._ Starshadow instructs. I nod, understanding his intent and flick my hands to conjure a guiding light. I start to sweat a bit. Creating a borealis, the first thing I ever did with my magic, is a lot easier than looking for something specific.

My light guides me to the right of the markings. I run a little bit, wanting to see what runes were damaged. I run for a few minutes before I notice the runes don't glow white anymore. In fact, there's a giant hole where the edge of the basin should be. I crouch down a bit, seeing if I could find water. The only thing I feel is mist.

"This might have explained what happened to the Shadow Isles. The Runes for the Water of Life, they're incomplete." Starshadow comments.

"Did an explosion happen?" I ask. I keep walking forward. I jerk backwards when I almost walk into a rock. Part of it glows like the runes did. I make a mental note of what it looks like before continuing to walk. Minutes pass before I emerge into a cave. I look behind me. Rocks float above, opening up the ceiling to the sky. I search for more rocks with a glow to them. Sure enough, there are tiny specks of light that glow that white color. I stagger to a wall, feeling absolutely exhausted.

"I can't… keep doing this." I whisper.

 _Leilah, who's that?_ Starshadow looks to my left. I look over and almost scream.

A pale man with a crown of blue crystals stands before us. He's pale, glowing the same blue of the Shadow Isles. The difference between the spectres I've seen and this one is that he is solid. I felt like I could touch him without my hand going through. He wears black skin-tight pants and an open jacket. He pulls out a long sword from the mist and points it at me. His eyes widen and he drops his sword.

" _Isolde? Have you returned to me?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... I have to finish this arc. I can't just end it like this. This is torture to leave for another three days. So, Two chapters today! Yes, I'm spoiling you guys. Do I care? Not really.
> 
> The part that's highlighted, that's Leilah using her discovery that her blood restores the person from the Black Mist, though it's not for long.


	59. Panic and Fury

_ “Isolde! My love! You have returned to me! _ ” The man almost rushes forward happily. He grabs my arm and yanks me into an embrace. The mist on his chest creeps up my body. I don’t have enough time to scream for help, and everything is so tranquil. I smile at my husband as I pull away.

“My king, you found me at last.” I greet my husband with a tight hug. He sighs into my hair. He loves me. He’s found a way to save me. He did it.

“ _ Of course I did, Isolde. Would you doubt me? _ ” Viego asks fondly. He tilts my chin up slightly to kiss me gently. I happily lean into the kiss, though there’s a niggle at the back of my mind. I dismiss it to look at my husband in all his glory. His presses a hand fondly against my cheek.

“Never.” I whisper as I pull away. He quickly scoops me into a hold. I shriek and laugh in surprise at his actions. He’s always trying to spoil me, but that’s how I know he loves me.

_ \---lah…  _ A voice appears in the back of my head. I twitch but decide to ignore it.

“ _ You look beautiful, my love, with a crown rightfully on your head. _ ” Viego comments. I reach up to feel a firm crown on my head. It feels exactly like my king’s crown.

_ Lei---  _ The voice interferes. This time I twitch a little bit more. My husband notices.

“ _ Is something wrong, my love? _ ” Viego asks.

“Nothing at all, Viego. I’m perfectly-” I cut myself off as a black snake with ruby eyes and a dot on its head gets between us. It flays open its hood.

“Leilah! Wake up!” the snake screams. I blink, confused.

“I’m sorry, who are you talking to?” I ask politely. The snake is swatted away. My gut clenches and I try to reach out for him, but I can’t. Viego is holding me back.

“ _ What is this? Isolde?”  _ Viego asks. I try to answer him before sharp tug at my mind interrupts me.

_ Come on, Leilah, you are so much stronger than this. You have blood and magic that literally counters everything on this damned place, now use it!  _ A familiar male voice roars in my head. I blink.  _ You saved me on Mount Targon by fighting through a compulsion. Use that damned stubbornness! It’s me! Say my damn name! _

“Star-” I start to speak when my husband covers my mouth. Everything returns to a tranquil state. I feel relaxed.

“ _ I can not trust what that infernal creature will make you say. Stay with me, my love.”  _ Viego tempts me. I open my mouth to agree with him.

“Starshadow.” I state. I blink and stare at the crowned man in horror. His ghostly eyes widen and I feel shadows creep down my shoulders. I let out the scream I tried to do earlier and quickly back away. I grab at the crown on my head and yank it into oblivion. Starshadow, for his part, actually grabs the wraiths in his mouth and flings them off me. 

_ That’s it, Leilah! You keep fighting it!  _ Starshadow crows and lands between the madman and I. I pale. I kissed a corpse. I spit and wipe my mouth attempting to be clean of him.  _ Not the time, Leilah. _

_ What did he do to me? _

_ At least that was the worst! Imagine if you were under his possession longer! _

_ I hate you! _

“ _ Isolde! _ ” Viego screams in agony. He reaches for me, only for Starshadow to grow in size, challenging the man. I collapse on my knees.

“Her name… Is Leilah. She’s my bonded, and you will go to hell for what you tried to do to her!” Starshadow roars. He snaps his mouth forward and opens his hood wide.

“ _ You’ve taken her from me. Prepare to die.” _ Viego snarls, twirling his large sword like it was nothing. I panic a little bit. Starshadow’s too small to fight him and protect me. Viego raises his sword and prepares to stab my bonded.

“Leave him alone!” I yell. I barely manage to pull Starshadow out of the way while I thrust a hand out to hold him. For the first time, my magic failed me. I can’t stop him. I barely manage to dodge the stab to my gut. Instead, it grazes my side. I grunt and hold it tightly. Starshadow enlarges himself the moment he feels my pain, growing larger than the mad king.

“You dare to attack her? Your so-called queen?” Starshadow hisses. I snap my head up and yank him backwards. Apparently just in time. I hear the swish of his sword as it passes harmlessly by. Starshadow recoils before allowing a bit of Darkin to coat his form. He looks absolutely demonic with it.

_ “You made me hurt her. You will pay with your life. Now, give me back my queen.”  _ The king snaps. I feel the magic tense as his sword glows brightly. I duck behind Starshadow as a blast of blue mist sweeps past us. It’s so cold, it burns. Starshadow forces himself to use enough magic to ensure that I am completely safe from the attack. I feel frost crawl up my skin, desperate for my soul. I gulp and take a deep breath. I need to copy the Black Mist magic. I have to help Starshadow somehow. I coax my magic against it. I feel colder and more drained as my magic struggles to acclimate. It almost seems to surge towards my core. I gasp and fall to my knees. The chill is both burning and numbing my senses. Maokai… he told me that our magic is completely opposite. Maybe everything my magic isn’t, it has to become.

_ Daamien, if you’re listening, can you change my magic to be it’s complete opposite?  _ I plead. The chill envelopes me tightly, refusing to let go until every single part of me has been consumed. I glance down at my hand and notice they are blue, like Khalista’s, and are only getting worse. The glow creeps up my arms. I whimper and desperately call on my magic to stop fighting. To allow the mimic to happen. It… it fails me again. My hands return to the solidness they were. If anything, the Mist refuses to be copied.

“Starshadow!” I whimper and look behind me. My companion is screaming as he fights against the cold. He’s sliding backwards into me. His neck is becoming ghostly like my arms. I don’t even want to see what his face looks like.

_ Get ready to run, Leilah. _ Starshadow’s voice echoes in my head.

“What? No!” I protest.

_ Leilah, we can’t survive this. Not together. Your magic won’t accept becoming it’s opposite. This… king… he’s literally the core of this place. He’s channeling all the magic of this place through him. _

“We ran through the origin of the Black Mist. We can fight this!”

_ That was passive. This one, it’s aggressive. It wants to kill us. And we… we aren’t strong enough. Run, Leilah. Just run. I’ll hold him off.  _ Starshadow’s tail brushes my cheek. I shake my head.

“No! We are both getting out. I swear it!”

_ Run, Leilah. I’m… I’m glad I was your companion.  _ Starshadow nudges me away. I stumble to the ground and look up, terrified. He turns his head briefly towards me. He’s lost all his scales. He looks like a skeleton, with bright glowing red eyes looking into mine. A tear flows down my face and I grit my teeth. Sorrow and fear churn into each other constantly. It never ends, feeding each other. I start to hyperventilate. Starshadow’s tail pushes me away. I bump into a rock and suddenly everything is crystal clear. This king, he’s going to kill Starshadow. And Starshadow, he could be trapped here. I’d lose him and he would be in pain constantly. He could forget me. My magic swirls, tempting me with power. I feel furious enough to take it. And my magic responds accordingly.

The freezing mist doesn’t chill me anymore. The ambient magic doesn’t make me want to sleep. I feel… I feel powerful. My fingers curl into fists. Everything in me is pulsing. I can barely see straight. All I can see is the mad man pointing his sword at my dying companion. My limbs tremble. My feet leave the ground. A pulse erupts from me, a bright light flashing around me. It floods the little area. Starshadow’s face heals, from skeleton to scales again. He’s staring at me in awe. I touch his head gently before turning back to the mad king.

\----------WARNING: THIS PART CAN GET A LITTLE… CRAZY------------

“ **_You will never harm my bonded again._ ** ” I snarl. Aurora and Daamien’s voice echo with mine. The king slashes forward. Another blast attacks me. I lift a hand. A blindingly bright shield materializes before me. The blast screams and melts away. The king stares at me in fury and attempts another attack. This time he lashes out with his sword. It lands on my shoulder, but doesn’t cut through. Another pulse of magic erupts from my body. He gets flung back into a wall. I feel the pain in my back, but it almost encourages my fury.  _ How dare a lowly creature harm Starshadow, me, with his pitiful magic?  _ He stumbles to his feet and prepares another attack. I raise my hand, taking him with it. He struggles to escape me, but I refuse. My hand curls. The king twists horribly. I feel my own bones break with his. The pain just continues to invigorate me. “ **_Are you enjoying the pain you have inflicted upon thousands of people? Millions? Centuries of time? Feel the same pain they felt!_ ** ”

_ “Khalista! Hecarim! I need you!”  _ He tries to scream. I swipe with my other hand, silencing him. For the first time, he doesn’t look at me in derision or fury. He’s afraid of me. I feel another surge of magic pulse out. The Black Mist disappears from anywhere close to me. I take another step forward when a tail holds my broken wrist. I turn around, seeing my fully healed bonded look at me.

_ Leilah! You’re going to die!  _ Starshadow pleads in my head. I look down at my right arm. It’s broken, having several more bends in it than it should. I don’t feel the pain. I give him a soft smile. I feel a liquid dribble out of my mouth and nose. I caress his face.

“ **_I’m not going to die, Starshadow. I feel fine. Great actually._ ** ” I try to comfort him. He pulls on my wrist a little bit sharper. I struggle to hold in my pleasure.

_ This isn’t you, Leilah. You never want to hurt anyone. This isn’t Aurora or Daamien. None of you would want to hurt anyone for pleasure. _

“ **_I don’t want to hurt for pleasure. I want to teach him a lesson._ ** ” I cock my head. Starshadow’s grip tightens around my wrist. This time I can’t hold back, letting out a sigh of relief. Starshadow looks even more concerned.

_ The Leilah I knew would never enjoy pain. Come back. Please.  _ Starshadow pleads. I blink at him before looking at the ghostly king. Even with all my torture on him, he still tries to stand. He pulls his sword and attempts another swipe. I sharply raise my hand to the sky. He smacks into the ceiling and drops, not moving. I gasp from the pain. Not pain, pleasure. It’s intoxicating. Starshadow’s tail smacks my face. I look at him.

“ **_What was that for?_ ** ” I ask, saddened by his attack. Starshadow attempts to pull my magic away. He grows larger than what he was on Mount Targon. His head is twice the size of my body, but I can still use magic. I stroke his nose. “ **_It’s ok, Starshadow. No one will hurt you._ ** ”

_ Leilah. What would Yone think if he saw this? Your mother? Your Father?  _ Starshadow pleads. I blink, the haze pulling away slightly. There’s a bit more of a drain on my magic than I’d like. I tilt my head as the haze returns.

“ **_They’d understand, Starshadow. To protect you all, I’ll do what I have to._ ** ”

_ What should happen if you decide you have to imprison them! To hold them hostage to keep them safe?  _ Starshadow yells at me.  _ I’m not your prisoner or someone to protect you. I’m your bonded. Your partner. _

“ **_Exactly why no one will ever hurt you._ ** ” I coax. My magic becomes easier to use again. I raise my hands. A brilliant light swirls in my hands. I point them at the so-called king. Starshadow sinks his fangs into my shoulder. I moan from the pleasure. Starshadow whimpers as his own scales break apart.

_ Leilah, wake up!  _ Starshadow screams in my head.  _ Your parents didn’t raise a ruler. They raised a beautiful young girl who loves stories, adventures, to help people. Does hurting someone mean that you’re helping? Yone, he loves you for doing the right thing, for being true to who you are, a beautiful soul that wants to help in any way possible without hurting anyone. To tell stories that inspire others to be better. Is this the person they would love? _

I pause. My magic almost scrambles to pull me back. I feel my feet touch the ground, and I feel a little bit more grounded. I stare at my hands, broken fingers and all. There’s no pain. Yone’s hands float over my own. I look up, afraid. His face is horrified and he’s pulling out one of his swords. He points them both at me. There’s sorrow, pain, and determination in his eyes. I scream and snap out of the haze.

\-------------------All set. Summary at the bottom.--------------------

I cover my mouth in horror and stare around me in fear. The Black Mist remains very far away from me. The ghost of the king melts away, leaving his sword. All my injuries no longer feel good. They feel like the worst agony in the world. I cough into my hands, wincing at the movement. I see blood splatter on my pale skin. Starshadow shrinks down to a more manageable size and helps me lie down on the ground. Even then, it doesn’t take long before my magic washes over me, healing all my injuries. I start to sob, finally coming back to my senses. The Mist surges towards me. I cry into Starshadow’s embrace, allowing it to come close. Maybe I deserve this. Starshadow creates a dome of light before they get too close. It feels like the last of my magic is being used for this.

“What happened to me?” I sob. My voice is just mine. Mine alone. Starshadow looks at the runes around us. They are tinged pink, slowly turning back to white. 

“The Runes, the ones around us, they’re amplifying magic. Your magic must not have been able to replicate the Shadow Isles themselves, but maybe you mimicked the magic of the Runes. That’s what gave you such a powerful surge.” Starshadow comforts me. 

“I… I tried to kill him. Daamien, Aurora, you, I almost killed you all. I almost killed you.” I wail and bury my head into his scales. Starshadow’s tail rubs my back tenderly. I can’t stop crying.  _ What monster could I be? _

“You could be the worst of the worst monsters, Leilah. But I know that you didn’t completely lose yourself the entire time.” Starshadow nuzzles my head. I look up at him miserably.

“How? How can you know?” I plead. There’s a little bit of hope if he’s right.

“Daamien’s vow. You were so powerful I think you could have broken your own vow if you wanted to, but you sustained the same injuries as he did.” Starshadow explains. My tears return, only this time I’m happy. Daamien’s vow kept me from becoming a complete monster. I sob in relief.

“Thank you.” I mutter over and over again into Starshadow’s scales. I don’t know who I’m thanking, Daamien or Starshadow, or anyone. He keeps rubbing his head against my cheek for the entirety of my break down. What feels like hours lets out all the emotions I was feeling in that moment. I have a few hiccups before I wipe my eyes. I take a deep breath and exhale. “Starshadow?”

_ Yeah?  _

“I want to leave.”

_ We need to wait for the next teleport. _

“I want to leave now.”

_ Leilah- _

“Please, Starshadow. I don’t want to be here. I’m scared of myself. Until I can take that vow, I don’t want to be here.”

_ Leilah, you’ll be ok. _

“Please Starshadow!” I scream. He jumps, not expecting my pleading.

_ Just last a little longer, ok? _

“Starshadow, I don’t care about the history of this place anymore. I want out.” I want to cry, but I’ve already cried them all out.

“ _ Isolde… my queen… I found you… a perfect… guard.”  _ A misty and weak voice murmurs. Chills shoot up my spine. “ _ Leilah… you will… protect her… when I can’t.”  _ viego appears once again. I feel like hyperventilating when all his injuries are restored. My magic healed me so fast I thought it forgave me, but maybe it’s because of his healing as well. He… he sees me and looks like he’s going to try to possess me again. I don’t want to be possessed. That was terrifying. I couldn’t think of anything he didn’t want me to. I don’t want to be here anymore. I can’t react at all. I can’t move. Starshadow hisses and tries to grow, though he winces from his attempt. That brings me out of my terror enough to act. If I lost control over my magic because Starshadow was going to be killed, I’m not going to let him die. Just like that, I feel like I have the magic to do whatever I need to.

“Not today.” I snap, scooping Starshadow up and run back the way we came in. Into the lake. I barely manage a few steps in before I trip over something. I land into the water. It tastes like death. I shoot my head up and spit out the taste. Starshadow’s body slithers onto mine.

_ There’s a fucking corpse down there! And you dropped me on her!  _ Starshadow whines.

“You wanted me to run. We’re running. And after this, we’re teleporting out of here. Got it?” I snap. I scoop him back up and deposit him on my scarf before using my magic and shadow stepping across the basin. I flick my hand to find my way back to Maokai. Without missing a beat, I change my trajectory to where I need to go. I don’t stop running until I burst out of the fog. Maokai is the one to help me realize that I was out. His hand catches me as I run into him. I feel my nose break from colliding into him. My magic is slow to heal it. I laugh giddily. It’s not amplified anymore. I’m back to my old magical self. I just lie down, trying to catch my breath. My treant friend appears to be a little impatient.

“...WELL?”

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t get... much information... I barely... got out... with my life.” I pant, struggling to breath. The mist burns my throat, it’s magic sinking into me. It sends me into another panic, scrambling to get rid of it by activating my magic as strongly as I can.

“WHAT IS WRONG?” Maokai asks, his hand bringing me up to his face.

“Get it out! Get it out!” I shriek, though with each word, more mist floods my mouth. I cough and sputter, unable to breath. I’m being suffocated… I’m going to die here. And I’m going to protect him and his queen… or I’ll be his queen… I don’t want that…  _ Starshadow, help. _

_ OH, HELL NO! I DID NOT JUST ALMOST DIE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY DIE!  _ Starshadow roars in my head. A small smile twitches at my lips. A bright flash of light invades my gut. All the mist that just flooded my mouth shriek as they are forced to leave. Maokai has to look away as Starshadow purifies me of all the Mist. It gets so bright that even I have to close my eyes. Everything hurts though. I need to live, for Starshadow. I need to see my parents again. See Yone…

The light dies down right as I find I can breath. I feel like I’m coughing up everything as I attempt to drink in the air. Maokai starts flinging saplings to protect me. Starshadow grows large and carefully wraps around me, a physical barrier from the wraiths.

“HOLD TIGHT!” Maokai roars. I reach down to grab the biggest twig, though it’s too smooth. In the end, Starshadow is once again my saviour. He calls on our magic, using a shield to hold us still while Maokai battles around us. It’s so taxing trying to hold onto everything. My fingers can’t even close around a twig or a branch, so I’m just tumbling around inside Starshadow’s makeshift shield.

“Can’t you just put us in your branches on your head?” Starshadw yelps. My eyes are starting to close. I’m just so tired.  _ You rest, we’ll keep you safe. _

_ Promise? _

“GOOD IDEA.” The branch I was holding onto shifts to right above his eyes. The wraiths keep attacking us, though they can’t get through Starshadow’s shield. For that, I’m grateful. 

_ Promise.  _ With Starshadow guarding me, I feel comfortable enough to sleep.

I’m woken with a soft nudge to my side. I groan as I come to. Starshadow and Maokai are standing above me. Well, Starshadow is only the size of my hand, from wrist to my middle finger, so he’s pretty small. His scales reflect the moon from above. The full moon has never seemed brighter, nor more menacing, than in that moment.

_ Did we escape?  _ My voice somehow manages to sound raspy in my head. I wince as I do my best to sit up. My head is pounding. My magic must be struggling to recover. I’m just so tired…

“GLAD TO SEE YOU AWOKE, LEILAH.”

“We escaped.” Starshadow presses his head firmly against my chin. “Don’t you ever get possessed again, either by a mad, delusional man or the Black mist. It’s terrifying.”

“I promise.” I weakly reach up to pat his head, only my hand just drops on him. He doesn’t protest, merely slithering through my fingers to sit on my forehead.

“DID YOU FIND ANYTHING TO HELP THE ISLES?” Maokai groans. I open my mouth, willing to share my discovery over my blood, but Starshadow interrupts me.

“We don’t know enough about what happened here to really help.”

“ARE YOU CERTAIN? I SENSE HER MAGIC IS-”

“I’m certain, Maokai. If we found anything that could help, we’ll tell you immediately.” Starshadow persists.

“I SENSE HER MAGIC WILL BE ABLE TO HEAL THIS LAND.” Maokai steps forward aggressively.

“And she is in danger of dying. If you truly want her to help you, you need to wait. She can’t heal this land if she’s too busy trying to survive. Besides, she isn’t magically strong enough to stop the mist. Maybe in a few centuries, she can stop it, but right now, any attempts to make the Black Mist go away right now, would only result in her being absorbed. The only hope we have to restore the Isles would just be consumed.” Starshadow rambles. Maokai freezes and thinks before he sighs.

“I HAVE WAITED CENTURIES ALREADY. I MERELY WISH TO SEE MY HOME RESTORED. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE KNOWING.” The treant pleads.

“I’m sorry, but you are going to have to wait a little longer.” Starshadow firmly puts his tail down. Literally. It smacks into my eye. I wince at the pain.  _ Sorry. _

“...I SUPPOSE THAT I CAN WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.” Maokai sighs. I feel a little bad that he’s resigned.

“We’ll… come back.. And save this place.” I gasp out. Maokai’s bright ghostly blues lock on me. “I promise.”

“YOU SHOULD REST, LITTLE LIGHT. REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH.” Maokai creaks, offering me another fruit. Starshadow attempts to help, though the fruit is about his size. I can’t help but giggle. Starshadow’s mouth cracks a small smile, but keeps helping me without commenting. He must be just as tired as I am. “DO YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE?”

“If you could bring us to the edge of the Isles, where the light is brightest? She’s not going to be able to stay safe here.” Starshadow asks.

“THE WARDEN LIVES THERE. I WILL NOT TAKE HER THERE.” Maokai refuses. Starshadow sighs before perking his head up. He’s a little bigger since I had the fruit.

“Can you give us a little more food? I can get us to safety then.” 

“CERTAINLY.” Maokai hands more fruit to me. Starshadow helps me eat every single fruit until I can’t anymore. My stomach feels so full and empty at the same time. It tastes too liquidy to sustain me, but I feel quenched and my magic is returning. “COME BACK AND SAVE MY HOME WHEN YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH.”

_ Here we go.  _ Starshadow murmurs in my mind. I feel like I’m constantly going from full of magic to empty while I’m on the Isles, but when the shadows take me, they spit me back out next to the recently filled light basin. I slump against the stone pillar. A dark bit of laughter echoes around us. A shriek rips from my throat and I cover my ears. I don’t want to be here any more. I don’t even want to think about going on another adventure for a long time. I need time to absorb everything that’s happened. 

_ You did pretty well, all things considered.  _ Starshadow tries to help. I close my eyes.

“I need a break from being me.” I whisper. Starshadow snorts.

_ You can’t stop being you. _

“I meant I need to be a normal person for a bit. I… I need to recenter myself. That magic, that intoxication, I’m scared of me. I need to remember what I enjoy doing.” I explain. Starshadow freezes before nuzzling my head.

_ I forget that sometimes you still think like a mortal. _

“I’ve only been an Aspect and a Darkin for a few years, Starshadow. I’m still not used to being so powerful. Today scared me.”

_ I never would have thought that the Guide would need help. _

“Well, I see a lot of crap. You say I’m young all the time. Well, I’m going to claim that I’m young and I need a break. I need help.” I whisper. Starshadow’s head bobs over my shoulder. I can feel his smile.

_ You’re in luck, Leilah. Aurora and Daamien hear you. Look.  _ Starshadow invites me. I tilt my head to my side and take a peek at my. I could cry in joy. The teleporting shadows slide underneath me and rise. There isn’t much of a tug on my magic, so Daamien is teleporting us. I close my eyes, praying that the Aspect and the Darkin residing in me are willing to help me center myself, to absorb everything that happened to me. The shadows feel different, almost apologetic. The shadows fall away to bright, sunny light. I close my eyes quickly. I actually laugh as I feel its warmth. I feel grass under my body.

I don’t know how long I lie there. I feel incredibly content. The only thing that could make it feel so much better is if I didn’t remember what happened when my power went out of control. Starshadow remains alert while I just relax. Everything is just how it should be. I pretend I’m home, in the fields of my farm. I pretend I’m in the field when I first met Yasuo and Yone. I pretend I’m in the fields when I helped Daamien get his mind back. I never knew how comforting a simple plant could be.

_ Leilah, you might want to get up.  _ Starshadow sounds incredibly pleased. I finally open my eyes. I sit up. My head barely peaks over the top of the grass. I look around slowly, warily. A feeling of being hunted sinks into my bones.

Apparently, I look around too slowly. Starshadow’s tail forces my head to turn away from where I’m looking. I let him, trusting him. He guides my head to a silhouette in the distance. Where there's a man with very fluffy hair. I bolt up to my feet, excited. I raise my hand to the sky, sending a burst of colors above me. The hair snaps away from me. I spot his face. He’s grown taller, with a bit of beard like his brother, only his reaches his hairline. The man stares at me while I wave excitedly. He snaps out of it soon enough, turning around and gesturing wildly to someone else. I cover my mouth when I realize who it is. He’s older, more refined. His hair is still up in that interesting bun with strands of hair falling in his face. He wears a tunic with gold colored shoulder guards.He stares at me like he’s shocked that he sees me. I feel my knees tremble and I start to run to him.

Yone finally gets his body in motion, running faster than his brother is. I’m not sure how since Yasuo is a student of wind techniques, but it’s not the highest of my priority. I just want to be next to him. To feel safe and have him be proud of me. To forget what my power can do.

_ LOOK OUT!  _ Starshadow screams. I twist around to see a large reptile with many eyes and a small horn leap out of the grass, directly at me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.O... Yeah, I am proud of this chapter. Look how dark my mind went. For those that would not have handled the crazy bit, Leilah took in too much power. her emotions took control and she lashed out... Violently. Of course, her curse makes her feel it, but for once she enjoys it. She enjoyed knowing how much pain she could give, and that her bonded was safe. It was a wild ride for her. Only through Starshadow begging her to come back was she able to do so. Other than that, Viego saw pretty girl and thought it was his wife, the crazy, mentally unstable idiot that he is.
> 
> And Now We are back with Yone and Yasuo! I mentioned earlier that I was going to make long arcs or location timelines. We're at the start of one that is at least 13 chapters long, so it's going to be a while. Hope you guys are ready for at least a month of being in Ionia, i've got a few people that would definitely have an interesting interaction.
> 
> As usual, I offer you my wish. That your day is extraordinary, for everyone of one of you makes my day amazing.


	60. Surviving

“Leilah!” Yone calls out. I raise my hands as the creature pounces on top of me. I feel it’s teeth sink into my right arm. My blood falls onto my face. I scream and just do my best to keep it’s claws from mauling me. I don’t have enough magic to shove it off. When it raises a massive paw, I sacrifice my left arm instead of letting it hit my face. It swipes cuts deep. My vision is starting to blur. I can only watch helplessly as it lets go of my arm and starts to close in on my face.

_ GET OFF!  _ Starshadow hisses. The creature looks and snarls. I’m barely breathing under its weight. I barely manage to make out that there’s a copy of it before I fall into darkness.

* * *

_ I open my eyes. I’m still in Ionia, with the creature attacking… itself? Though the copy fades. It snarls and looks down at its feet to see… me. I’m there. I gasp and look at my hands. It's still me. Am I… dead? Starshadow is small. He’s terrified, his head switching between the beast and myself. He can’t decide who to choose. Does he protect my body from the beast or bring my soul back? _

_ Then Yasuo dashes through. Literally through as he swiftly attacks the creature. It’s knocked back. He takes on the beast while Yone skids to a halt next to my limp body. He picks me… her… my body up. He brushes blood off my face before conversing with Starshadow. Starshadow is shrinking rapidly. He closes his eyes. _

_ “LAMB! FOUND HER!” A familiar voice echoes. I yelp and try to run. A sharp arrow flies through the air and lands on my ankle, pining it to the ground.  _

_ “Well done, wolf.” Lamb’s soft, soothing voice echoes around me. My eyes widen and I yank the arrow out. It’s agony, but I take a stand. I have to run. Though, something pulls at my ankle. I glance down to see a familiar face, just the wrong colors. _

_ “Starshadow?” I ask, urgently. Starshadow keeps searching, unable to see me. His tail just happened to wrap around my ankle. He definitely knows he’s found someone as he’s frantically searching the place he touched me. _

_ “Leilah! If you can hear me, we need to hurry! You have to hold onto me!” Starshadow yells. I reach down and try to pick up my bonded, but my hands slip through. I’m fading. _

_ “LAMB! SHE IS FLEEING.” Wolf howls. I can hear the hunt in his voice. Starshadow hears it too and desperately tries to find me. I can’t pick him up. I try to tap my foot against him. He doesn’t feel it either. The howls are getting closer, with a clopping of hooves. I mentally panic. Starshadow hears it as well. He grunts as he flashes a little bit of light. _

_ “This is our last chance, Leilah. You have to grab onto me now. Otherwise we’re going to die.” _

_ “I can’t touch you!” I scream at him. He still doesn’t hear me. The ground begins to pulse. I look over my shoulder to see Wolf coming to close in on me. I launch myself on top of Starshadow. I need to protect him. A bright flash of light appears as Wolf’s enraged howl echoes in my head. _

* * *

_ When the flash of light disappears, I stumble and fall a little bit. A pair of soft hands catches me. Something is pounding at my chest making it really hard to breath.  _

Careful there.  _ Aurora murmurs in my head. She helps carry me to my magical core. Daamien is in the light, his hands carefully tending to my magic. It’s turning a cool blue color. He sighs before coming to me.  _ You’ve lost a lot of blood. And magic.

_ “Wha-” I try to get out, but my legs give out on me. Aurora yelps as I take her down with me. She keeps my right arm wrapped around her shoulder as she groans, attempting to help me up. It feels like my arms are being ripped out. I glance over and widen when she’s getting blood over her arms. “What’s-” _

_ “ _ **_Happening? Right now, you are dying._ ** _ ” Daamien says bluntly. He doesn’t leave my little stream. “ _ **_Not enough magic in your core and you're losing too much blood. Starshadow yanked you from Kindred, but I’m not sure how long that will last. We have to preserve you._ ** _ ” _

_ Aurora struggles to hold me up. I keep feeling I’m I’m going to fall asleep. My legs become numb and I pull her back down again. This time, we’re a little closer. Daamien reaches out and takes Aurora’s burden from her. He carries me the last of the distance to the liquid. One touch and I’m instantly freezing. My fingers turn a dark blue. My teeth are chattering. _

_ “P-p-pres-s-serv-v-ve?” I shiver. Daamien keeps trying to lower me into the light. _

_ “ _ **_Too much blood loss. We need to freeze you until someone can heal you._ ** _ ” Daamien explains. _

_ “Ar-r-ren’t I alr-r-ready f-f-froz-z-zen?” I shiver violently. _

Your body is.  _ Aurora answers me.  _ What’s we’re trying to do is keep your soul here. Without your soul, you’re dead. This is the best way we can keep your soul here. 

_ “S-s-so s-s-s-sinc-c-ce I’m-m-m h-h-her-r-re, c-c-can you t-t-teach m-m-me m-m-my m-m-magic?” I struggle to get out. _

_ “ _ Not the best idea, Leilah. Especially since you would need to practice the theory at some point, and that in itself requires magic. _ ” Starshadow slithers in. He’s small. If he didn’t speak, I would have never found him. “ _ Clever, using your entire soul on me to hang on. I could tell you were slipping. _ ” _

_ “W-w-where d-d-did y-y-y-” _

_ “ _ Come from? Your frozen body. Well, not exactly frozen, but it is freezing. Like there’s actual frost on you. It’s kinda terrifying. Told the brothers to rush you to a hospital. They’re hurrying right now. You’d think that Yone would let Yasuo get you there faster, but noooo. Stupid selfish man wanting to be the one to rescue you… _ ”Starshadow hisses in annoyance. _

Not the time, Starshadow.  _ Aurora gently chastises while the Daamien attempts to put my head under the freezing cold. _

_ “N-n-n-n-n-” I can’t finish my sentence, but I can struggle. Daamien keeps trying to get my head under, but I keep sneaking out of his grasp. I manage to keep my head above the light, still conscious. _

_ “ _ Daamien, wait. _ ”Starshadow calls out. The darkin stops just in time. I was just about to have my head pushed under.  _

_ “ _ **_She needs to go to sleep. That’s the only way her magic can last long enough to get help._ ** _ ” Daamien protests. _

_ “ _ She’ll last. She’s stubborn enough to reach it. Besides, Yone wouldn’t be carrying Leilah personally if he wasn’t sure he could get her there in time. According to him, we’re only two hours out of town. And that’s at walking speed. Besides, even if you think that Leilah should wait to ask, there’s nothing else she can do right now. She’s been feeling left out, since she’s the only human here. She needs to learn. _ ” Starshadow supports me wholeheartedly. Not sure why it’s now of all times, but I definitely appreciate it. _

Perhaps it is for the best that she learns. She’s done an excellent job figuring things out, but she can still use some guidance. She’s also proven herself to be quite the mage, with plenty of magical power, but no idea how to control it.  _ Aurora speaks up for me. _

_ “ _ **_She needs to meditate and learn herself._ ** _ ” Daamien snaps. _

You weren’t taught like that, Daamien, and you know it.

_ “ _ **_The heavens themselves taught me the moment I ascended._ ** _ ” _

I was born with my knowledge, but you were a healer before you ascended. You were taught how to bandage wounds and mend organs long before the emperor chose you to ascend. Be kind.  _ Aurora walks forward and gently touches his hand. He glares, but sighs. _

_ “ _ **_Only you… Fine. Starshadow, you get in the magic too._ ** _ ” Daamien barks. _

_ “ _ Why me? I’m her guardian. _ ” _

_ “ _ **_You're using her magic too. It might kill you both if you remain out too._ ** _ ” Daamien explains as he picks up my little bonded. _

_ “ _ I’m too small. Besides, it’s freezing. My scales are going to prune, and- _ ” _

_“_ ** _Starshadow, I’m worried about you. Both of you. You need to live._** **_The only way you can is if you go into the True Ice magic and let yourself be chilled. It’ll extend Leilah’s life._** _”_

_ “ _ I thought you hated being on Runeterra? _ ” Starshadow asks as he slinks into the magic. He lets out a squeal as icy shock stuns him a little bit.  _ COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD .  _ I’d feel a little pity if he wasn’t being so obnoxious. _

_ “ _ **_I did… but… there are people worth living for._ ** _ ” Daamien glances at Aurora in fondness before looking at the two of us. “ _ **_You saved me, gave me a home and peace. Aurora taught me how to feel again, and Starshadow… well, he’s Starshadow._ ** _ ” _

_ “ _ Hey! _ ” Starshadow protests. He doesn’t shiver. I toss him a soft glare, though my face starts to fall into the magic. I yelp a little bit and try to stay afloat. I almost fall under when Daamien’s hand keeps my head up. _

_ “ _ **_What do you want to learn?_ ** _ ” Daamien asks. _

_ “H-h-h-heal-l-l-ling.” I stammer out. _

_ “ _ **_Anything specific?_ ** _ ” I can’t speak any more, too cold to say anything effective. Thankfully, Starshadow knows me well enough by now. _

_ “ _ Why not regale us with everything? It should help Leilah stay awake and interested enough to stay alive. _ ” Starshadow suggests. I try to glare at my snake, though moving is not the greatest option at the moment. There’s a sharp jostle on my back, though I’m certain that it hasn’t been that long. “ _ What’s happening? _ ” _

_ “ _ **_You were starting to slip out of the tall one’s arms. He adjusted and they are still running. Now, back to the lesson at hand. Healing is a very ancient art. Most magics manipulate things outside the body, as those are simple, basic. The problem with that comes that each element has a different feel to each thing. For example, you, Leilah, could not copy the Black Mist at all because it’s just everything you aren’t. It’s like you trying to be a carbon copy of Starshadow._ ** _ ” _

_ “ _ HEY! Celestial is right here. _ ” Starshadow pipes it. I shudder a giggle and relax. It’s really very interesting. “ _ Besides, Leilah can control shadows _.” _

That’s a little different. You have Daamien’s Darkin magic. Part of his job was to teleport to the wounded and get them help, remember?  _ Aurora speaks up. _

_ “ _ Hard to forget, since he keeps lording it over me. _ ” I don’t even need to know that Starshadow is glaring at Daamien. I can see the amusement in the Darkin’s eyes. _

_ “ _ **_Part of my magic required me to appear and disappear at will. It started as light, as most battles would take place where there is some light, but with the corruption, it switched to shadows. Besides, shadows and light are not that different. They’re two halves of a whole. Without shadows, there is no need for direction. Without light, there’s no need to go anywhere… Stop trying to distract us, Starshadow. Healing is a sacred and most honoured of magics, and you distracting me will only delay what she needs to know._ ** _ ” Daamien chastises my celestial. A small tug of jealousy burns in my stomach. I wish I could have a bond with the two beings that I house.  _

_ “ _ You make it too easy. That’s why most people loved you, because you were always able to discuss whatever they wanted to at a moment's notice. _ ” Starshadow snickers. Daamien reaches over and shoves Starshadow’s head into the light. He’s silent. I can only sense that he’s asleep, but that doesn’t mean I’m not concerned. It’s very rare for Starshadow to ever shut up. One of the things I can adore about him, but he really needs to learn how to stop talking. _

_ “ _ **_Now that the menace is out of the picture, I can get back to my explanation. Healing is it’s own branch, though it’s inaccurate to say that it’s a branch. Say magic comes from a tree, where elements and specific talents are branches and leaves respectfully. Magic, it’s the energy that flows up and through the tree, but it’s not actually a part of any specific part of the tree. Healing magic is a part of everything._ ** _ ” _

How does that work?  _ Aurora asks. I blink in surprise, as that’s exactly what I was wondering about. She glances at me with a soft smile.  _ We share the same body. I live in your mind. It’s part of why I know exactly what happens to you and I’m here whenever you are here.

_ “ _ **_I can understand why you are curious as to how healing can work on other magics, but it really doesn’t. It's more like they share similar characteristics. For example, you would never think of fire and healing to go together, but both can cleanse an area of bacteria and diseases. Same with dirt. The earth can block any more dangers from getting through. The only magic that healing can’t fight is death because… well, death is rather permanent. It’s everything the tree isn’t, but it makes the tree healthy._ **

_ “ _ **_Healing is unique for that reason. Only those that are capable of understanding other branches even have a chance of being a healer. Another reason why healers are so rare is because there are requirements. Compassion, caring, and a sturdy soul. That person’s soul, they can not be worn down by the adversity they encounter. Every single healer knows what the job will entail, but they do not understand it’s hardships until they are actually a part of them. Those with the natural personality and soul are the true healers.”_ **

It sounds incredibly picky. It certainly is. Magic has a balance, afterall. Everything has a balance. Life, death, light, dark. The more important a magic skill is, the pickier it is. It’s part of why I chose you and only you. Hope, inspiration, it’s such a seemingly insignificant thing, but both are so important to the future of anyone. Nothing is done without either. As such, I was incredibly picky over who I would choose.  _ Aurora senses my comments and helps with the explanation. _

_ “ _ **_With that in mind, you are literally one in a lifetime of a world. You somehow were born with the healer’s personality, but you did not have the magic to use it. You did your best with what you had, using stories to calm and soothe feelings. Not to mention you made those around you feel important. You made others aspire to be better. Very few have been born like that. Soraka is one, though she is much older, more powerful, and wise. Aurora snapped you up quickly when she saw what you could be. I believe that I am more of Myisha’s shenanigans. I was meant to never be found, though her chosen Zoe brought you right to me._ ** _ ” _

Dear, I think you’re getting a little off topic.

_ “ _ **_Thank you, Rory. Yes, healing is an art. Most healers have to study for a month to handle a cut. That’s because the cells in a body are alive. They are basic, but they do have a sort of consciousness. That’s why healing is an art as well, as you have to convince the cells you are working with that you are there to help and not going to harm them. People do not have control over their own bodies, so you can heal even the most reluctant of patients._ **

_ “ _ **_Healing magic, normally, will gently coax the cut to recognize that it is cut, and that you can guide the cut to mend itself. Most of the time the month long study is because their healing magic is as unsure as themselves. They need to follow a process and pick it piece by piece. They also need to exercise their magic enough to ensure it closes. Most students have the issue of needing enough magic or the know-how of closing a wound. Once they can seal a cut, it’s remarkably easy to close other, larger injuries. All cuts are very similar in how they heal. Even the most apprenticed of healers are usually on stand by in harsh situations, as an amputation can be handled by them under a watchful eye of a senior healer._ ** _ ” _

That’s the wartime healer in you talking, Daamien.  _ Aurora interrupts. She shakes her head and floats into view.  _ Most apprentices are slowly taught how to close bigger and bigger injuries, growing their magical cores. You shouldn’t be exposed to such conditions so early on in your medical training.

_ “ _ **_Quite right, though I want to treat Leilah like a wartime healer. She’s going to be in hot spots like the Shadow Isles, and she should be able to handle those situations. As such, she can not expect to only use experienced healers. Others must be aware that they must step up when something goes wrong. I want her aware that anyone who has even the slightest bit of training in the healing field is enough to assist her._ ** _ ” Daamien explains himself. Aurora nods her understanding. My teeth are struggling to not chatter, though if I try to warm myself up, that might kill me. I have to stay cold. That’s the only way Starshadow and I can survive. It’s our only chance. _

Sorry for interrupting.  _ Aurora apologises. Daamien shakes his mighty head and looks at her in fondness. _

_ “ _ **_Not at all. It’s good for her to be aware of how other healers are apprenticed. Now… where was I?... Ah yes. After the study of external injuries, we go to internal injuries. A cut is easy to heal because one’s eyes can see exactly what needs to happen. What about a broken rib? That is much harder. This is where the study of anatomies are best used. Back in my time, I studied every single creature’s anatomy we came across, as it was not only humans fighting. The other Ascended’s gained more… animalistic or carnal features, so I had to learn how to accommodate them. I can not tell you how often I saw Renekton come in, asking for a quick bandage on his maw before he went back into battle…_ ** _ ” _

Of topic, Daamien.

_ “ _ **_Right. This is the level you are currently at, Leilah. You can easily heal all these injuries without pause. This is where most healers would graduate. You, on the other hand, are housing my soul. I was one of the greatest healers of all time, but there’s a reason why I never graduated an apprentice._ ** _ ” _

You never graduated an apprentice?  _ Aurora asks, a little shocked. I am too. I didn’t think that he would apprentice someone. He always sounds like he’s out and about, bringing the injured back for healing and then he’s back out again. I would never have expected that he would have apprenticed anyone. _

_ “ _ **_I told you, I was the greatest healer. All sorts of aspiring healers to be came to me to ask to be apprenticed. I had extremely high standards, but I took them in. Those that apprenticed under me had to learn how to fight magic caused by runes. Most of them managed to graduate after altered poisons and did not wish to continue. I do not blame them, as those were incredibly hard. There was one apprentice that was so close… but he… he mixed up his runes… I wasn’t there to watch him, like I always ordered that to happen, but I was busy with another task. I thought he could handle it, he was so close to graduating…_ ** _ ” _

_ “I-I-I’mmm… s-s-sorr-rry.” I chatter quietly. It took all of my strength to even mutter that much. My body stops shivering. I can’t tell if it’s because I got used to it or I’m still dying… My eyes are getting heavy, but I can still see and hear Daamien clearly. _

We can let the magic go now, Daamien.  _ Aurora states abruptly. _

_ “ _ **_Huh?_ ** _ ” _

They reached a hospital. She’s going to be safe.

_ “ _ **_Rory, we can’t let the magic fade quite yet. Her body needs to be completely restored in order for her to stand a chance of survival._ ** _ ” Daamien protests. _

_ “ _ Next time you want me to shut up, don’t push my head under a bunch of True Ice. _ ” Starshadow grumbles.  _

_ “St-t-t-t” I can’t even finish making a noise now. Starshadow appears in the middle of a sky of stars above my head. _

_ “ _ Aurora let me out. A team of healers is currently attempting to dethaw you in order to help, but that’s going to kill you. I’m going to have to direct them. I’ll save you… again. I need to be paid for this stuff. Seriously, if I was paid for this, I’d be rolling in so much food-”

_ “ _ **_Begone, child._ ** _ ” Daamien barks and swipes another hand. Starshadow disappears in a blink. A literal blink, as one second he’s there, and when my eyes open again, he’s gone. “ _ **_Huh. That actually worked._ ** _ ” _

_ I frown. Starshadow, he’s a sort of constant presence. Now, I can’t feel him. I try to fight my own magic, trying to find him. I feel like when I try to reach for him, he’s not there. I call out for him in my mind. There’s no response. I’m scared now, and I rip my arm from under the ice. _

Leilah, calm down. If you take off your magic too fast, you’ll die.  _ Aurora appears in my vision and starts to push me back under. I shake my head free and try to leave. _

_ “St-t-tarshad-d-dow is-s-s m-m-miss-ssing.” I stammer. I have to wake up. I need to see him. We’ve been through so much already. He can’t be gone! I didn’t die! I’m not dead!  _

_ “ _ **_Leilah, you need to calm down!_ ** _ ” Daamien orders. He uses his other hand to shove my head back into the magic. This time, my head goes under and I black out. _

* * *

_ I gasp awake. It’s Targon. I tear up at seeing where I am. It’s not just anywhere in Targon, It’s my home. It’s my little farm on the side of the hill. I can feel the wind brushing through my brown hair… wait, didn’t my hair become like the starry sky? _

_ “Leilah!” Mother’s voice echoes around me. I turn around, searching frantically for her. Tears spring in my eyes. I miss her terribly. But I saw her this morning… I guess I was having a nightmare. How would I have been able to climb Mount Targon? “Your fiance’s coming to visit us for dinner! And don’t forget that Geras and Lye are coming too! I want you looking your best, afterall!” _

_ “Coming, Mother!” I yell back. I hop up and leap off my resting spot. I have never felt so fast getting back to my house. Father opens the door just as I get there. _

_ “Remember, you need to set out the table. I would, but you know your Mother.” Father shrugs his shoulders. He frowns and looks closely at me. “Leilah? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” _

_ I reach my hand up to my cheeks. I pull away and gasp at my hand. I pulled away frost. I blink and it’s gone, back to a tear. I find myself blinking rapidly a few times, making sure that what I saw was a weird trick of the light, only I felt like it was cold. _

_ “N-n-nothing, Father. I’m… really pleased. So, when’s Yone coming?” I ask casually. _

_ “Yone? I’m not sure who you are talking about. Don’t you remember your own fiance’s name?” Father teases me. I frown. _

_ “But, Yone is…” I blink. How do I know a name like Yone? It’s not a Targonian or Shuriman name. I shake my head. What name was I talking about? _

_ “Dear, I think your rest was a little bit too much. Why don’t you take a seat. I’ll tell your Mother you’re not feeling well-” _

_ “Sir, Ma’am.” A new voice interrupts, one I never heard before. I do recognize who it is when I look up. My head pounds. I reach up to the crown on my head and yank at it. Glimpses of my past flash before my eyes. A pair of kind eyes. My hair is black with stars, like I remember it. Then it flashes back to brown and I can’t feel the crown. I warily look at the man in the door. _

_ “Leilah, you do remember that you are going to be mine, right?” Viego asks. My eyes widen and I shake my head. I reach up and grab the crown again. With all the strength in my weak limbs, I yank at the crown. The weight grows on my head, I can barely keep my head up. “You will be mine.” _

_ “Like hell, I will.” I snap. With all my strength I manage to break the crown. He stares at me in shock. _

_ “Impossible.” _

_ “I am no one’s puppet. I am the Aspect of Hope, or Inspiration. I carry in me the darkin Daamien, and I am Starshadow’s bonded. You will never possess me, not again!” I snarl and throw Viego away with my magic. He flies out, cracking the scene around me. The light from the blast is blinding. I can only close my eyes. _

* * *

I wake up… I think. My entire body feels heavy. My head is pounding from my dream. Was it a dream? I can’t… first I was hunted by lamb and Wolf, then I was frozen in my magic core to keep me alive, then I had that wacky dream where I was home…  _ Starshadow? _

There’s no answer to my call. I muster all my strength to open my eyes. Even then, I can’t see. I think I’m awake. There's warmth on my hand. That wasn’t there before. And if my dream was any indicator, I should be awake. It’s too tame to be anything else. Still, if I was awake, Starshadow would be all over me.

There’s a bright flash of light. I can’t even jump, but I can finally see where I am. I’m in bed. I guess it’s a hospital as I am in a rather white room. I think it’s white. It’s hard to tell when everything is tinged orange and purple… wait a minute.

“Zoe?” I choke out. A pair of bright blue and purple eyes pop into view.

“HI BESTIE!” She squeals. Whatever is holding my hand stirs a little bit. I try to see who it is, but Zoe quickly creates a bubble and pops it on whoever is there. The hand that tightened around mine relaxes instantly. “You seem to be in a bit of a pickle.”

“What are you doing here?” I rasp out. My body sends a shiver up my spine. I finally register that I’m freezing. I think that’s a good sign, remembering that when I was in the Freljord shivering is good, stillness, not so much.

“Oh, I came to collect a friend to play with! He promised me, afterall! But he’s so small. I’d hate to take him away without telling you.” Zoe, surprisingly, tenderly holds out cupped hands. A small black string is the only thing not illuminated on her body.

“Starshadow.” 

“Mhmm. He promised to play with me. He already said that I already played with him, but this one hasn’t.. Now he’s going to play with me!” Zoe squeals. I manage to see a reflection of metal in the doorway.

“What?”

“But then I saw that you were still recovering from meeting the Grumpy Pale Man, so I thought, you wouldn’t want to let Starshadow out of your sight unless you knew where he was. Don’t worry, I’m going to play with him and Space Doggy! Say hi to Pretty Lady for me!” She chirps happily. She hops up and dives into a portal just as Yasuo lunges forward. He barely misses her as the portal disappears, taking my bonded with her. The moment the portal closes, my chest squeezes so much I can’t breath. Yasuo then crashes into a wall, rather painfully by the sound of it. The hand holding mine tightens before it’s removed. It’s dark in my room again.

_ Starshadow…  _ My eyes feel so heavy, but I have to move. I need to find him. I need to get to him now. But how can I when I can’t breath? It’s like an important limb of mine is gone, and I’m not used to being without it. I have to try though. A light flickers on, the flame gently illuminating the room. Still, it’s too bright. I wince and slam my eyelids shut. It hurts.

“Leilah?” Yone’s voice whispers. I force my eyes to open, but it’s so hard when it’s so bright. I moan instead, letting him know I’m alive. I feel his hands tightly onto mine before a pair of lips press against my knuckles. “You’re alive. I thought you were going to die. Right in front of me.”

“Leilah? What was that girl talking about? Who was she?” Yasuo mutters. I can’t answer him. I can’t even gesture to my chest that I can’t breath. Yone’s hand holds mine. I part my mouth, trying to get air in. Yone notices that I didn’t answer Yasuo, something I would have normally done. He places his hand near my nose. I don’t exactly understand what he’s measuring, but I think he understands the peril I am in. My eyes are closing just as he is calling for… I don’t know what. I can’t hear.


	61. In the Hospital

_ “ _ **_Welcome back. We weren’t expecting you to be here so soon, but perhaps it’s for the best._ ** _ ” Daamien’s rumbling voice wakes me up… in a way. When I blink my eyes open, I’m back with the great beings above. Aurora is resting comfortably in Daamien’s arms. For the first time in a very long while, she looks powerful and healthy. I wince at the thought. I should really be more cautious of what I run into. She’s an Aspect, but I’ve really been hurting her alot lately. _

_ “Sorry for the trouble I caused.” I mumble under my breath. Aurora’s laughter gently chimes in the air. _

This is no trouble at all, dear. Trust me. The other celestials of the stars are much worse. If anything, at least you keep us on our toes.  _ Aurora dismisses gently. She floats off of Daamien and gives me a tight hug. I happily return it. She feels so soft and comforting. I bury my face into her shoulder. She gently pats my back soothingly. Tears start to pour down my face. My breathing starts to break and before I know it, I’m crying. I’m just utterly sobbing in the arms of an Aspect and in front of a Darkin. I pull away and try to wipe my eyes clear, but I can’t seem to breath right. _

_ “ _ **_Let it out, Leilah._ ** _ ” Daamien murmurs just loud enough to be heard. Another hand gently rubs my head. And just like that, it feels like when a dam on the farm bursts. Everything that just happened, every feeling I had, just comes flooding out. A sad wail rips itself out of my throat. My legs tremble before giving out from under me. Aurora and Daamien curl around me. I feel like I’m in a cocoon of care. The dark sun trying to keep me warm, the light night sky attempting to give me hope. It makes me feel safe enough to stop being strong. I can actually let all my feelings that have built up inside go. _

_ Failure, guilt, sadness, loneliness, pain, disappointment, everything just spills out. I have never felt so much agony before. Granted, the worst that I ever did before I climbed the mountain, but it hurt whenever Mother or Father was disappointed in me. Somehow, everything on this adventure makes things so much worse. Actually, it’s not somehow. Whenever I was around all my disasters, I should have done something. I could have done something. Why couldn’t I do anything? _

_ I had Starshadow to help me when I was held captive by mageseekers. He could have freed me whenever he wanted. I wish I asked him to save people. If I wasn’t bound, I could have saved Marcino and stopped that disaster from happening. Instead, five people’s lives were changed permanently. And I couldn’t do anything. _

_ I couldn’t help Ashe or Grena all that much. I ran away from my troubles instead of facing them properly. When confronted with something that hurt me, I ran. I didn’t stop running. I ran so far I bumped into an Ice Witch, and I didn’t learn anything. She tried to cast doubt on Starshadow, and I almost let her do it. And I couldn’t get Grena to stop. I couldn’t stop her from attacking me. I had the magic, I knew she was unstable, I knew she could lash out, but I didn’t stop it. I made Starshadow mad, I left Ashe in that little hell. _

_ Then I went back to Demacia. I could have freed Sylas. I could have taken him away. I could have done anything when I escaped, but instead I went to the king. I protected his family from dying. I was welcomed, while Sylas was dismissed. I failed. I don’t even want to think about the failure of the Shadow Isles. I couldn’t learn anything about what happened. I couldn’t control any of my magic in the nightmarish place in its center, and I have so much. I should have stopped it from possessing me. I could stop a celestial from possessing me before I had magic, I should have been able to resist the Black Mist. I could have.  _

_ “ _ **_Leilah? You want to talk to talk?_ ** _ ” Daamien rumbles softly. I didn’t realize that my tears were the only things coming from me now. Tears and hiccups. After thinking about everything, I thought I would be crying more, but I guess I got too tired. I bury my face into Aurora’s glowing dress. _

_ “I failed. I’ve done nothing but fail. I can’t get anything right. I couldn’t help anyone.” I whimper. _

That’s not true, dear. You did everything you could. Are you talking about everything that happened?  _ Aurora’s hand doesn’t stop rubbing my back. _

_ “ _ **_Leilah, you… you are so compassionate, but you can not focus on what you should have done._ ** _ ” Daamien murmurs softly. I peek out from Aurora’s embrace to see the Darkin’s sad eyes. “ _ **_There have been so many instances that I should have done better. That pupil I almost graduated, I was bringing back people. So many people were missing their limbs. Some lost intestines, some were trying to breath through their own blood. I only let the masters handle those with internal injuries, but it’s not all that uncommon for the masters to be watching multiple apprentices as they healed. We were at war. We needed all the people we could get. As such, my own apprentice was roped in. Because I had announced that he was nearing the completion of his training, he was the lead healer in that compound. I trusted him to take care of the ones we were bringing in. I wasn’t paying attention at the time, but I accidentally brought back a person cursed by a rune. My apprentice attempted to get my attention, but I was in too much of a rush. It was a simple rune, but I hadn’t fully ingrained into him the dangers of runes. I had made sure he memorized the different runes, but there were so many. Memorizing what they looked like was the best he had. He couldn’t read runes, not like I could. But, since no other master could even attempt to cure the man, my apprentice took on the task._ ** _ ” _

_ “ _ **_He was smart. He knew his limitation. I was too busy going to and from. I was the only one gifted with the ability to teleport with others. But I drilled into him healers needed to try. The man was dying faster than he could get my attention. I forced him into taking the dying man into a large, quarantine space. He… The battle had just finished when I came back to see a crater in the middle of a desert. I lost him and the patient. There are so many what-if’s I could have done that day. If I had taken the time to help him through the runes, to make sure he knew what each of them meant and what runes should never be brought together in a stressful situation. He bound the wrong runes…_ ** _ ” _

Daamien…  _ Aurora gently reaches out and rests a glowing hand on his cheek. He leans into it a little bit. I can see his blood red tears run down her hand, though it doesn’t bother her. He takes a shuddering gasp. _

_ “ _ **_My point is, that there’s so many things that could have been done differently. I could have saved my apprentice, graduated him to save more lives, or I could save lives from the battle, trust my healers. I could have tried harder to save my fellow Darkin. I could have researched a way to restore them. Instead, I allowed myself to fall. I let myself fall and attempt to kill everyone. I could have changed so many things, but I was on my path._ ** _ ” _

You are so strong, but you are young. You don’t have the centuries we’ve had to think and process how we feel. Right now, you’re overwhelmed. That’s ok. You’ve gone through so much more than so many people. It’s ok to break.  _ Aurora gently tilts my head up. I feel like a child. I know I’m around twenty years old. I know I’m technically an adult, but it feels good for someone to look out for me.  _ It’s ok to be overwhelmed, to be upset. You’re one of a kind. You’re allowed to take time for yourself.

_ “ _ **_I told Starshadow that it was too difficult for you, but he thought that you could handle it with him by your side._ ** _ ” Daamien mutters. “ _ **_He said that it was just going to be an easy one, protect the boy from his job. All you had to do was stay by his side. I tried to tell him that you would not follow, that you’ve been exposed to too many possessions, that anything calling you would have made you leave your goal._ ** _ ” _

Not the time, Daamien.  _ Aurora gently scolds him before looking at me.  _ That place should have been one of our hard limits, but you had been handling everything so well and Starshadow gave a compelling argument. We all failed you there.

_ “I guess it’s something for us to learn. If something can go wrong, it will.” I sniffle. Daamien’s hand pats my head. _

_ “ _ **_Certainly. Now, while you're in Ionia, you get to relax. You need guidance and peace too._ ** _ ” _

_ “I get a break?” I whisper. _

You deserve a break, so we’re leaving you on a mission with the person that holds your heart. Unfortunately, it’s not a true break. Daamien couldn’t teleport between the battlefield and the clinic he set up without some sort of trouble. It’s an unfortunate limitation.

_ “ _ **_I really wish I could have figured out how to get back to my clinic without someone having to make a cut in their palm, but it was enough to bring me back. Other soldiers being healed was enough afterwards._ ** _ ” Daamien pouts.  _

Besides, maybe you get the chance to spend time with Yone.  _ Aurora teases slightly. I groan but nod. It would certainly be nice to talk with him again. I missed him alot. Almost dying in front of him was also… not good. There’s too much I want to talk about with him, to live life. But… if I could get better in a different way... _

_ “Can I come back to learn more about healing too?” I ask softly. Aurora and Daamien look at each other before nodding. _

_ “ _ **_I would happily take you as my apprentice. Unfortunately, I can only teach theory. I can’t give you the real world applications that you need. We have so many things to learn, like undoing curses, curing poisons and venoms, and fighting Runes. Remember, you need to meditate to visit us, so perhaps when your boyfriend is open, he can watch over you during our lessons._ ** _ ” Daamien agrees easily. _

_ “He’s not my boyfriend.” I make a token effort to protest. _

You have the barest of the illusion magics, but there’s so much more. I can teach you how to find the magic’s feeling and how to distance yourself from the personality traits you get.  _ Aurora chimes in. I blink in surprise. _

_ “You can help with that? I thought that was just a combination of our magic.” I mumble. _

It is. Your magic responds to you like a sweet bonded we all know. 

_ “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard ‘sweet’ and ‘bonded’ in the same sentence.”  _

_ “ _ **_I’m with her. I’ve never even thought those two words could exist next to each other unless referred to Leilah._ ** _ ” _

Stop mocking him, you two. I know you both adore him as much as he you.  _ Aurora chastises us. I’ve been spending too much time with Starshadow if I’m turning so snarky. _

_ “Sorry.” _

As I was saying, you need to learn about my magic as well. You’d be surprised at how useful an illusion can be. 

_ “ _ **_Aurora, you saved Leilah’s life so many times, I’m pretty sure she knows just how useful your magic is._ ** _ ” _

Spoilsport.  _ Aurora flirts with Daamien. I yawn and snuggle into her arms. I can sense both the beings looking at me in fondness. _

_ “ _ **_Next time you come back, we’ll talk lessons. Just know that everything you’ve been through, you are still standing. Sometimes you’ll need to recenter yourself, but you are one of the truest healers I’ve ever met. My son was another._ ** _ ” Daamien presses a kiss against my head. I blink in surprise. _

_ “You had a son?” _

_ “ _ **_You’re waking up now. I’ll tell you more…. If you manage to not distract me during a lesson._ ** _ ” Daamien promises.  _

_ “Mean.” I grumble as I feel my consciousness slip. _

I open my eyes to the morning sun. I’m momentarily blinded before I manage to shut out the world. Everything hurts to move, so I can only take the light straight in the face. It’s uncomfortable. I let out a quiet moan to express my displeasure. I wish I could jump when the light is immediately removed. Someone gently holds my hand.

“Leilah? Are you awake?” Yone asks me. I blink open my eyes again, though I feel so tired. Still, seeing his eyes light up is enough for me, though they dim almost immediately. I try to speak, only my lips aren’t moving. I can’t even frown. All that comes out is a soft moan.

“Leilah’s awake?” Yasuo chimes in. He sounds a little more distant than Yone is. I try to tilt my head to find his voice, though he appears in the corner of my eye on the other side. I think I’m on a bed. “Leilah?”

“-” I try again, but I still can’t move my lips. My arms feel so heavy. I try to move my head, but all I can get is a wiggle. Then someone’s hand scoops under my head and helps prop me up. I manage to catch a glimpse of my bloody, bandaged arms before I’m gently laid back. The pillow under my head feels a little fluffier. It takes all my strength, but I manage to pry my dry lips open. “Thank you.”

Yone’s hand shifts from under my head to my cheek. My stomach flutters from finally feeling Yone’s touch. I do my best to lean into his hand. It’s so firm, but gentle. There’s a soft pressure on my forehead, though I don’t open my eyes. I know it’s Yone pressing his forehead against mine. I feel… so safe and happy right now.

“We thought you were going to die there.” Yasuo comments openly. The moment that I have with Yone is broken. I almost want to glare at him, but I understand it’s his concern talking. With that, I open my eyes and twist my neck to look at him. Yone returns to a standing position, though his hand never leaves mine.

“You aren’t the only ones. I think I did die for a moment. Everything that happened is… kinda blurry.” My whispered confession makes both brothers tense up. Yone’s hand grasps tightly on mine.

“How did you survive then? Starshadow was rambling about getting your arms wrapped up and not let him… ‘pop’?” Yone asks.

“He, uh, had to go save my soul from… a lamb.” I try to recall. It’s kinda confusing. I remember a wolf mask on a lamb body… but I’m pretty sure that’s wrong…

“A lamb… He had to go save your soul… from a lamb.” Yasuo snorts.

“They are not as friendly as you think they are! Especially when a wolf is with them!” I try to defend myself.”

“I don’t know about you, but wolves eat lambs.”

“Even if it was only for a few seconds, I couldn’t find her pulse until the ice formed over her body.” Yone interrupts quietly. Yasuo stiffens before sighing.

“Sorry.”

“It’s all good.” I struggle to pat his hand. He helps by bringing his hand to range, though I bump my arm into the side of the bed. Upon impact, it immediately throbs horribly. I whimper at the pain. Yone is quick to react, reaching over to grab my arm. I frown. I don’t remember the bandages being that red.

“Yasuo, get a doctor.” Yone demands. Yasuo is quick to leave. My head is pounding and my arm really hurts. I feel a little confused. I have magic. Especially one that heals. Why am I bleeding? I glance at my other arm. That one is also turning redder.

I try to pull on my magic. The tightness that I felt before robs me of my breath. I have to let my magic go otherwise I risk making myself pass out… one way or another. With that thought I take a deep breath and pull on my magic. I feel like I’m being suffocated from the inside out. The air I took seems to disappear instantly, but I can tell I am glowing. It takes all my concentration just to glow, though I can feel my magic doing it’s job. 

**_What the hell do you think you’re doing? Throwing your magic like that is certainly going to aggravate the injury from Starshadow being taken from you so far away, not to mention not breathing is going to harm you in the long run._ ** I jump… well I am certainly startled out of my magic. I gasp for air a little bit. 

_ Daamien? _

**_Part of your mind. This could use a healer’s touch. Do you mind? I can teach you a few things while we repair you._ ** Daamien offers. I blink open eyes to see my darkin standing on my other side. Yone doesn’t seem to notice him, though Daamien is taking off the bandages.

_ How are you doing this? _

**_Don’t worry, no one can see us. You’re in what I can describe as in between. The place between reality and meditative peace That’s why you see me now, but not any other time… What the Shadow Isles did that creature do to you?_ ** Daamien gasps when he finishes. I blanch a little bit as well. I’m honestly surprised that I haven’t lost my arm. It’s completely covered in stitches with little spots of blood leaking through. The places where the stitches were torn show the muscle underneath. Even then, some of the muscles are looking worse for wear. There’s a few places where my bones are poking through.

_ Why didn’t they just cut off my arms?  _ I mentally panic. Yone’s watching me carefully. He waves his hand back and forth in my face. I let out a slow blink. His composed face is getting more and more emotional. I can see the panic in his eyes. I want to tell him I’ll be alright, that my healer is here and going to help me, but I can’t speak. If what Daamien says is true, shouldn’t I be able to see Aurora?

_I am here. You just need Daamien more._ Aurora chimes in. She briefly flashes into my view before disappearing.

**_Alright, first lesson. You are low on magic. Very low. That means you cannot let your magic do whatever it wants. You have to guide it._ ** Daamien lectures.

_ Can you show me? _

**_Certainly. Since you have the power capability to restore nerves, notoriously difficult, we’re going to train on power control. Now, you remember your little stream of magic?_ **

_ Yes. But there was so much of it.  _ I remember my magic. A golden, overflowing stream. Though, when I last saw it, it was blue and trying to save me, but it was large.

**_What you are remembering is a puddle now. You were too out of it to really notice. Now, Aurora, can you create an illusion for me to use?_ ** Daamien asks. Aurora reappears and waves a hand. I can see everything wrong with my arm, even if I already sensed what was wrong before.  **_Thank you, dear._ **

_Your magic used to do this._ I guess Aurora wants to be part of the teaching experience. Still, I do my best to focus. I hope this is fast. If what I’m feeling is anything like what’s really happening, then I can’t afford this to take too long. Aurora creates a massive wave of water. It crashes down onto the illusion of my arm. The illusion is completely healed, but all the magic that was just used disappears. She creates a small bubble of sorts, showing me just how much magic I put into healing something. _It’s wild, untamed. That sort of magic can get you trouble very quickly, as you expend too much in one go._

**_You need to learn how to focus your magic._ ** Daamien instructs. Aurora creates a new image of my decidedly terribly looking arm. This time, there’s a thin line of my magic, like a thread. The magic sinks into the injuries and they seal up slowly. It’s not as fast as when I just splash magic on me, but there is a lot less magic used.

_ How do I do that? _

**_Your stream of magic, you have to narrow it down. Try making just your arm glow right now._ ** Daamien instructs. I blink through tired eyes and do as he instructs. My chest feels like it’s too tight. Using magic at all is reminding me of the distance between Starshadow and I. It hurts.  **_Focus on your injuries. Let them alone light up._ ** My chest relaxes. I let out a soft breath of relief, but everything still aches. A few doctors hurry into the room and pull Yone out. They start to grab so many different objects. I can’t make them out, the outline is getting blurry. Still, I feel my magic do as I wish.  **_Good, Leilah. Very good. Now, this will be hard, but change that magic from light to soothing. The amount of magic you are giving, that’s all you are allowed to use._ **

_ The doctors are here. _

**_They tried it their way and you are bleeding. Let’s do it my way._ ** Daamien dismisses. I let my eyes close and concentrate. I can almost see the change happen, from illumination to healing. I don’t stop using the lights though. They make a good guideline. Instead, I bring the healing part of me with this, siphoning the little magic I have left in my core. Tiny scoop by tiny scoop, I coax my magic into slowly healing my arms. I can’t see how much magic my core really has, but I can feel each drop being taken. 

_ Is… it… working?  _ I pant in my mind. Daamien and Aurora are carefully watching over me, I know it.

_ Open your eyes. _ Aurora coaxes. She and Daamien have a bright smile on their faces. I do so. I was pulled into a different room while I was concentrating. There’s a great deal more people here, all wearing white. They hold little needles lined with thread. One of them even has a needle lined up with one of my injuries. All the doctors that have prepared to save my life stare in bafflement. I barely manage to lift my head, though I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. It worked. It really worked. There’s no sign of bones or muscles or even blood. The only thing visible are silvery scars. Even then, those are fading quickly.  _ Well done. _

_ What’s happening? I didn’t put that much magic on them! _

**_Actually, you did. You didn’t think that you were going to get that level of control in one go, did you?_** Daamien chuckles. His voice is more distant. I would guess that I’m really waking up now. **_It also doesn’t hurt that you will instinctively heal yourself on top of actively trying._**

_ Will you train me? _

**_I’m certain you’ll get plenty of practice with your..._ **

_ Daamien? Daamien! _

“Miss?” A doctor asks clearly. I blink open hazy eyes. If I thought I was aching before, it’s nothing compared to now. I’ve used too much magic from my core, but I’m conscious. That’s at least something. I don’t try to get up. I’m sure that everything would just be too painful. 

“Can you take me back to my room please?” I mutter quietly. My head aches just as much as the rest of me.

“O-o-of course. Nurse, can you wheel her back to her room?” A doctor answers me, sounding like he startled. The bed under me begins to move. I’m too tired to stay awake, though I want to make sure Yone and Yasuo know that I’m ok. I definitely will be.

“Did you manage to save her?” That’s Yone. There’s a small tremor in his voice.

“We didn’t do anything, sir. She took care of it herself.” The nurse answers him. I feel someone grab my arm and yank it up. My muscles being moved against my will hurts. I’m too tired to react though. My arm is then presented to someone else. That’s when I hear a tiny sigh and whoever is holding my arm up places it gently on my stomach.

“Is there a chance that we can take her out of the hospital?” Yone asks.

“What? You would take a magical anomaly, one that could help us progress our skills at healing, not to mention that she is terribly injured and unwell, out of the hospital?” The nurse sounds appalled.

“She doesn’t need to be watched like a hawk while she recovers. I… She…” Yone stammers a bit. I crack open an eye to see a soft blush on his face. Yasuo takes pity on his brother.

“She’s his girlfriend.” Yasuo wraps his arm around his brother’s. I don’t care about how sore I am, I bolt into an upright position, clutching my stomach tightly.

“I’m sorry, say what now?” I’m not entirely unhappy with the thought. In fact, I get little butterflies in my stomach, but I don’t remember him asking me to be his girlfriend last time. If it was asked, I would rather know right now.

“Brother…” Yone sounds rather dark, even if his face is neutral. Yasuo just keeps cheerfully smiling and patting his shoulder.

“My brother was away from his girlfriend for almost a year. When we heard that the mission would be in Navori, where our lovely Leilah is, he refused to let me go alone. When we arrived here, we managed to see her for only a second before a vulkodalk pounced on her. You have to understand that he’s rather… overprotective of her right now.” Yasuo rambles a little bit, putting on so much charm on the poor nurse I’m wondering if Starshadow is here. I swear that if Yone had any less decorum than he already does, his brother would not be standing there. As it is, it’s very obvious to anyone that Yone is uncomfortable.

“Oh, you poor dears.” The nurse actually sounds a little bit sad. She looks around us quickly before sighing. “Fine. Take her with you. We need the bed space anyway. If she regresses-”

“We’ll bring her right back.” Yone promises. A pair of arms scoop under my shoulders and knees. Yone quickly picks me up while Yasuo continues to talk with the nurse.

“That worked?” I mumble quietly.

“Apparently.” Yone remarks just as softly. I let my head drop onto his chest, completely worn out from healing. My head lolls softly against my hospital clothes…  _ I’m being held by Yone in only a shift... _

I give such a sharp glow that I hear a few people cry out that they’re blinded. Just the smallest amount of accidental magic also makes me unable to breath, though I doubt I could have anyway. Yone tenses a little bit, but he still manages to walk confidently forward.

“You are sick, Leilah. There’s no need to feel embarrassed.” Yone mutters against my forehead.

"Consider how I grew up." I mutter into his chest. My face is still rather hot. His chest rumbles in a soft chuckle. He's kind enough to not keep teasing me for the short journey back to my room. I can feel my magic wake me up the closer we get to my assigned room. He gently settles me onto the bed, pressing a soft kiss against my hair.

There, on the nightstand next to the pillows, rests my scarf… on top of some rather tattered clothes. I wince, remembering that I did get slapped in the face and got stabbed a few times on the Shadow Isles. When Maokai was transporting me, the original clothes must have suffered far more damage than I thought, with only my magic capable of keeping the clothes looking like new. Still, my scarf is completely untouched, like the day I became an Aspect. I reach out and carefully pick it up. I feel a soft caress on my back, gentle and warm like my Aspect. Even if the rest of my clothes are tattered, I still have my parent's gift. I still have something of theirs with me.

I briefly look back to see if Yone is still in the room. The door closes with a soft click, no one else in the room with me. I do my best to get the rest of my clothes on, though anything that requires reaching… anywhere makes my life hard. Still, Yone and Yasuo are going to be around me. It gives me the little extra push I need to yank them on, even if I feel tears fall down my cheeks. When I'm done, I feel Aurora's magic sooth all the tears and dirt marks on my clothes while also changing them into my usual look. I'm panting in exertion, but I did it. I barely manage to reach the door and knock on it before my body and consciousness give out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. At least she's alive... But her magic is certainly not helping. She's not out of the woods yet, both physically and mentally. Still, we got a bit of backstory on Daamien. The Darkin... One hell of a healer with interesting limitations. And he lost his son... Can you guys imagine how that would affect the Darkin? Perhaps enough for him to try to fall? I wonder... is it possible for Leilah to follow the same path?
> 
> Sunday's post is going to feature Leilah learning magic and how the brother's will perceive Leilah's stories. The poor girl is carrying some weight on her shoulders. I do hope Yone will be able to do something about it as Starshadow isn't here to help wean the weight off her.
> 
> On a completely unrelated note, today is my birthday, though I'm not spoiling you guys like I did for the Shadow Isles. This arc is still in progress, and I'm not absolutely dying to see your reactions to Panic and Fury (Hint hint, REVIEWS PLEASE!)
> 
> As always, I hope you guys have an extraordinary day. I know I am because you ordinary people are a part of my day. You guys inspire me to constantly do better with my work. I hope that someone in your life inspires you just as much.


	62. Start of Some Things New

When I finally wake up, I’m in a new room. This one is a little bigger than the hospital room I was in. It’s also mostly brown, with only two beds in the room. There are three windows on two walls. I’d guess we’re in a corner room of a temporary residence. I doubt that Yone or Yasuo would willingly leave the monastery. It’s their home after all these years. 

I slip out of bed without any issues. I guess my magic has completely healed me then. Honestly, it feels great to feel like me again. In my excitement, I made a few little borealis butterflies. They flutter around me excitedly, though my chest once again feels a little tight. I wince and let the butterflies disappear. My lungs feel ok after that.

I decide to go looking through the room, seeing if Yone or Yasuo are here. If they are, I’d like to talk with them, catch up with what has happened to both of us. They have a mission here. That’s rather exciting. If I’m alone, then I can learn from Daamien and Aurora. I need to be able to control my magic, that it can heal as quickly as it does while also using the only necessary amount. That way I can actually fight with my magic instead of relying on Starshadow to protect me all the time. Maybe I can learn how to use magic while he’s not near me. It would be nice to know exactly why I feel like I’m suffocating while Starshadow is gone.

Upon seeing that I’m alone, I grab a few pillows from the head of the beds. I arrange them into a nest next to a wall, so I can let myself relax completely while also staying upright. I sit down and close my eyes, concentrating on taking deep breaths in and out, concentrating on going to see Daamien and Aurora...

_ I open my eyes to look at my magic. I can see why they say that I am capable of a lot of healing, the stream has expanded wider. It’s starting to resemble a wide river. I try to find where Daamien’s place of residence is. I have to conjure my shadow magic and walk quite a distance to find the hole that connects Daamien and Starshadow to me. Though, the dot looks… ripped. Badly ripped actually, like paper. Magic is trying to go in, only for it to splash back out. It makes me wonder exactly why that is the case. _

_ “ _ **_Starshadow is too far away. He can’t help you channel your magic._ ** _ ” Daamien interrupts my thinking. I yelp a little bit in shock. The little bit of time to resettle my thoughts is all I need to think clearly  _

_ “That’s odd. That didn’t happen while I was in Bilgewater.” _

_ “ _ **_... Damn, I thought I had a good explanation as to why. I’ll have to think about it._ ** _ ” Daamien curses softly. Aurora giggles before creating little… are those flying poros? Apparently, we share similar traits. She sends them to float around Daamien’s head. He waves them off with a soft glare at her. “ _ **_Why?_ ** _ ” _

We both know the boys are out and about, though they’ll check in on her in about half an hour. They’ve been checking every hour after all.  _ Aurora gently reminds him. I jolt a bit. _

_ “Wait, how can you know that? I thought that you were in my core.” _

We are Magic.  _ Aurora wiggles her hands a little bit. I can’t help but snort at the motion. She’s a regal, kind, loving being. I can’t imagine her making jokes, though if Starshadow is in here often enough, he might have changed a few habits. That just reminds me that Starshadow is currently being held by a crazy teenager that doesn't exactly keep her promises. Afterall, time did pass between her bringing me to Targon and returning. I really hope I’ll see Starshadow again. It’s not the same without him. _

_ “ _ **_Back to the lesson at hand. You did rather well for your first attempt to control how much you heal, but it’s still overwhelming. We’re going to train you. Ready?_ ** _ ” _

_ “No.” _

_ “ _ **_Now you sound like Starshadow._ ** _ ” Daamien jokes a little bit. I smirk and pretend to gasp. _

_ “I mean, yes!” _

I hope you know that I’m going to be telling Starshadow about this.  _ Aurora laughs. I pretend to be terrified.  _ Alright, time to be serious. 

_ “ _ **_The first thing about your magic that you need to understand is you have an immense amount of magic… As you can see._ ** _ ” Daamien gestures over the golden overflow of magic. “ _ **_I want you to pick up the smallest amount of magic._ ** _ ” _

_ It doesn’t sound that hard. Especially since I can see how much I’m grabbing, so I try to follow Daamien’s task. I kneel at the edge of my magic and dip a finger into it. When I pull it up, magic twice as big as I am flows into the air, but it doesn’t seem all that heavy. I blink in shock at it. _

_ “What?” _

The first misunderstanding you have. That is a drop compared to how immense your core is.  _ Aurora pats my shoulder. She reaches into the light and manages to pull out only a speck.  _ This river is a representation of your magic in your body. Assuming you could pull out a drop with your finger is like assuming you pull out a drop in comparison to your body.

_ “How are you pulling out that little then?” I do my best not to pout. _

It’s the first time you are really experiencing magic control, Leilah. You can not think about the size you want to get, but rather the intent. Your magic will follow through.  _ Aurora places the little drop of magic back into my core. I try again, placing a small finger into the core and doing my best to imagine what I need it to do…  _

_ What do I need it to do though? There’s nothing to do here. All I’m doing is pulling magic out. I want a small amount, around the size of a drop on my finger, but that resulted in a massive ball of magic. So, thinking about a physical representation won’t work… What will? _

_ “ _ **_Everyone has different ways of how to control their magic. Some see their magic, see what’s the worst that can happen, and know that no matter what happens, they will always be able to control it._ ** _ ” _

_ “I don’t have that luxury, being blessed to never harm another without taking pain myself. How can you control your magics?” I mumble. I look at the only people who can actually teach me about myself. _

My magic has always been a part of me since I was born. It’s like knowing how to breathe for me, so I’m not going to be that much help.  _ Aurora apologizes. _

_ “ _ **_Well… It’s been a while. It’s hard to remember exactly how I learned mine._ ** _ ” Daamien sheepishly rubs the back of his head. I feel my entire face drop.  _

_ “Then how am I supposed to learn how to control my magic if the very people who are teaching me can’t explain?” I do my best to remain calm, even if I’m a little frustrated. _

Everyone learns a little differently. Perhaps you can ask Yone and Yasuo. Or anyone else you come across how they mastered their craft. Mages or healers would be better options, but different techniques can apply. For example, both Mages and warriors have to use their magic repetitively.  _ Aurora suggests. It’s not a bad idea, to be honest. _

_ “ _ **_In the meantime, keep practicing trying to take out only a drop. We’ll be trying to figure out where Starshadow is._ ** _ ” Daamien turns to Aurora. He picks her up very gently. They cross over the vast amount of magic in front of me to the hole where they begin to take the smallest amounts of magic from me to try and heal the rift.  _

_ With that, I concentrate back on mastering how to pick up a small bit of magic. I dip my finger into the light and imagine a tiny, TINY droplet on it. When I pull my finger out again, it’s almost like the amount of magic I pry up is bigger than before. Little bubbles seem to float away from the sphere and drop back into the river. I frown and let it back into the river and try again. _

_ Again… Again… Again… Again… I lose track of how often I pull up magic, trying for a drop. Every single time I try, all that ever seems to happen is my magic pools large enough to swallow me whole if I want to. The more I try, the bigger the magic bubble. I scream in frustration and slam my hands into light. The magic clears where I try to hit it, and my fists slam into the surface underneath. I can feel the pain sing through my arms. I yelp and cradle my arms into me. Dammit. Why can’t this be easy? Why can’t I get this right? I need to! Daamien and Aurora think I’m capable of it. I have to be. I have to be... _

I come back to the real world with a snarl on my face. I don’t know how long I’ve been trying to control my magic, but I still haven’t succeeded. I know that he said he wasn’t going to teach me unless in an extreme emergency for this very reason. Still, without Starshadow to protect me, he was going to. Maybe… if Starshadow came back… then Daamien and Aurora won’t teach me magic anymore. I need to get it right.

There’s a soft knock on the door. I sigh and try to stand up, though my legs and feet are tingling. I must have been trying for a very long time for me to be unsteady standing up… and my stomach is growling quite ferociously. I should probably eat something. I don’t remember the last time I ate or drank anything… My throat’s definitely feeling a little dry, now that I think about it… so I go over to the door and open it up… Just in time for a knock to the face.

“Ow!” I yelp and clutch my head tightly. I stumble a little bit from the pain. My forehead throbs a little bit, though it’s almost immediately gone.  _ Dammit! _

“...Whoops…” Yasuo mutters under his breath. I sigh and wave it off.

“It’s fine.” I wipe any sweat off my forehead and body the best I can. Who would have thought that trying to use only a small amount of magic would be so tiring. I blink to see Yasuo and Yone carrying bags. I’m not sure what they are holding, but it’s probably going to help. Especially since something smells really good. My stomach reminds me rather painfully that I am still lacking nutrients and liquids. The pain is enough to send me to my knees.

“Are you alright, Leilah?” Yone murmurs. He puts down a bag he was carrying. The next thing I know, he’s offering me a cup of water. I greedily take and chug the water down. I don’t stop drinking until I have every last drop. Even then, I still feel a little thirsty, but definitely much better… even if my stomach is attempting to rebel from getting too much in my stomach.

“I don’t think you should be drinking that fast.” Yasuo comments. Yone glances at Yasuo for a moment before carefully checking on me.

“I haven’t eaten or drunk anything in over twenty four hours. I need it.” I take a quick moment to defend myself before going back to drinking. 

“He’s not wrong. You really should be more careful.” Yone supports his brother. I wave a hand over my stomach, trying to take the ease off with a small bit. Annoyingly enough, the ache immediately disappears. A soft growl appears in my throat. “Leilah.”

“Just… something I need to practice.” I answer lightly. Yone does not look impressed while Yasuo snorts.

“What do you need to practice?” Yasuo asks. He sounds a little intrigued.

“Nothing you can really help with, unless you can tell me how to use my magic.” I bite a little bit. The frustration is getting to me. Yasuo holds up his hands slightly.

“Uh, I take it that you aren’t doing so well?”

“Not really. Sorry.” I let out a frustrated breath. Yone rubs my back a little bit. Yasuo jolts before diving his hand into the bag he’s carrying.

“I get the frustration. Learning how to use the wind technique is hard.” Yasuo remarks, squatting down to offer me some jerky. This time, I take it carefully out of his hand and naw on it. My stomach definitely thinks it’s too much, though I can already feel my magic soothing it. It mildly aggravates me, though with a little food in me, I have an easier time keeping my temper.  _ Wait a minute… _

“How did you learn?” I look at the two of them. They look at each other before looking at me.

“You were there while we were being trained.” Yone points out. I roll my eyes slightly, mostly at myself because he’s right, before standing up to sit on the bed closest to the door.

“That wasn’t what I was trying to say. How were you taught? What worked for you to learn what you did?” I do my best to clarify what I’m asking. Yasuo leaps onto the bed behind me with a bit of a windy flourish. Yone rolls his eyes while he takes a seat close to me.

“Oh, my master drilled it into me. If Elder Souma saw me move my sword even one millimeter away from what I was supposed to do, I’d have to do the practice over and over again, until I had it perfectly. Even from the beginning. Learning how to wind wall was tough. He made sure I had the proper steps before even attempting to try it.” Yasuo answers. He’s laying on the bed with his hands on his head. Yone shakes his head before holding my hand. I can’t help but blush at that.

“Mine was more along the lines of learning the right steps, then using it in combat over and over again.” Yone informs me. 

“So none of you have ever done it too well to the point where you have to backtrack or do without a mentor.” I groan and cover my face.

“What do you mean too well?” Yone sounds a little surprised. 

“I… the way Daamien and Aurora-”

“Daamien? Who’s Daamien?” Yasuo sits up eagerly. He looks like he’s getting ready to tease his brother.

“The one responsible for my left eye. Anyway, the way that they put it is that I basically let my magic just crash into the injury. As Daamien was a war healer, most of my magic is more than capable of healing everything it needs too. The problem is that I expend too much magic. For healing a small cut, I tend to just keep pouring extra magic on until it’s closed, even if all it needed was a drop.” I don’t even bother trying to get into too much detail. Magic and swordsmanship are… understandably different. I can’t even use Daamien or Aurora for help. Just like everything else about me, I’m different. I have to learn things the hard way.

“That… does seem like a problem. How much magic do you have? From what I recall, you weren’t getting sick from using magic last time, just tired.” Yone reasons. At least he’s trying to help.

“Uh, enough to last being nearly magically frozen for a week, after bringing ten people back from the dead, and then teleporting immediately afterwards? Or I survived being on the Shadow Isles for over a day and being mauled by a monster? You can take your pick.” I really don’t know how to measure how much magic I have. There’s just no real way to determine how. Though, I think I’ve been missing Starshadow too much. There’s no way I personally would have said it like that. Yasuo bolts up while Yone’s eyebrows are attempting to join the sky…  _ Dammit, Starshadow. _

“Wait a second… you… went to the Shadow Isles… And survived…” Yone hesitantly repeats me. 

“That’s why I couldn’t heal myself when I was attacked by that creature. I had used up all my magic staying alive.” I shrink a little bit. Both brothers are staring at me like I’m different. It makes me wish I didn’t say anything at all. 

“Wow. Remind me not to make you mad.” Yasuo remarks after what feels like a lifetime. 

“Really? That’s all you say?” Yone sounds incredibly exasperated. Still, all tension I didn’t know I had fades away. A laugh erupts from my throat. This… this is nice. 

Once I start laughing, I can’t stop. I do try, covering my mouth and turning away, but I can’t stop. Yasuo and Yone bickering is just so… mundane and ordinary. It’s like me and Starshadow, but it shows me that this… this is normal. I can be normal for a bit. I could definitely use this to relax. My laughter is apparently contagious as I hear Yasuo start to join in. it isn’t long before Yone joins in. We’re such an odd group, laughing without a care in the world in our room. Yasuo starts to lean on his brother trying to stay upright. I slip off the bed from how hard I’m laughing and land soundly on the ground. That stops everyone’s laughter for a moment, though I start it right up again immediately. I have no intentions of stopping. We laugh for what feels like hours until we’re all just collapsed on the ground, trying to breath. Little giggles escape every now and then, but we’re done laughing for the moment. The only sound left is the sound of heavy breathing.

“So… Do you… want to… hear what… happened?” I ask. Yone recovers first, slipping off the bed to join me on the ground. Yasuo rolls over and happily hangs his head and arms over the edge.

“So, what happened to you after the Festival?” Yasuo asks. I smile and give in. Yasuo’s old enough to hear everything. Besides, I have no doubt Starshadow would have told him everything anyway. He always did use Yasuo to let me and Yone have our time alone. Siblings. 

Neither of them are pleased to hear about my first journey to Demacia, with me being tied up and forced to run behind horses, getting punished just for being a magic user. Yone holds me tightly in his arms when he listens to how Marcino died under my hands. He rests his head tightly against mine, trembling a little bit from hearing the massacre that happened. Yasuo is almost hypnotized from the sound of it, terrified and amazed at the same time. 

“Starshadow needs a raise.” Yasuo comments lightly. I snort in amusement.

“Oh, he’s already given me so much trouble for that. Made me give him the best massages and food when we went to Ixtal. I learned a little Ixtali while I was there.” 

“Ixtal? I heard that they are rather prideful about magic. How did they treat you?” Yone asks, concerned.

“Not that bad. I made a good friend there while learning how to heal. At least I learned how to heal without passing out from doing it over and over again.” I start. I tell them how I managed to befriend a princess, Qiyana’s issues with her siblings. I can see Yasuo’s happiness and gratitude in his eyes as he hears about the abuse the poor girl went through. Talking about being nearly frozen going to the Freljord put the entire room on edge.

“That’s how you managed to freeze yourself, wasn’t it?” Yone asks when I finish telling them about my experience with True Ice. “You mimicked the characteristics of it.”

“Well, Starshadow did that. I… was kinda dead by then.” I mumble, leaning my head into his shoulder. He tenses once again, but he lets out a quick sigh. 

“Perhaps I should be going with you after this meeting.” Yone remarks softly. Both Yasuo and I start with that statement. We stare at the eldest swordsman in amazement.

“Brother? Are you serious?” Yasuo asks hesitantly. “You’ve been saying that you want to make sure you are completely trained before going with Leilah.”

“She needs someone by her side now, from the sound of it.” Yone wraps both his arms around me.

“I don’t recall you being so affectionate.” I can’t help but point out.

“If you recall, you died in my arms. I’m not going to let you go that easily now that I’ve seen first hand just how bad things can get for you.” Yone points out.

“But, what about Yasuo?” 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been waiting for this day for ages. No big brother to get me up at the crack of dawn.” Yasuo lets out a happy celebration. I shake my head while Yone scolds him, proving Yasuo’s point even more. “Though, I haven’t heard anything about the Shadow Isles.”

“I haven’t even mentioned the second time I was in Demacia.” I protest. Yasuo and Yone settle back into listening positions. I can see the murderous intent in Yone’s eyes for someone trying to hurt me… again. I didn’t mention that I passed out from my magic being pulled out so fast. Or that I was beaten. Just that I was captured and Starshadow helped me escape. Then I managed to grant an audience with the king… and managed to save his life… and was poisoned… and nearly died… I really need this break from nearly dying all the time.

I even tell them that I was a lady of Demacia now, a sworn protector of the royal line. Yasuo, of course, snorts at the irony since I can’t choose any single person or line to save, but they keep listening. They listen to me talk about possibly starting a new mage village in Demacia. They listen to me talk about the trial, including when I renounced my title… I really wish I could have hidden the next part… when Sylas… snuck… a kiss… But I would rather it have come from me than from Starshadow when he gets back. Naturally, Yone’s face takes on a rather stormy look while Yasuo looks ready to tease him. A quick glare from both of us stops his mouth from opening. I finish my tale of Demacia as quickly as I can, including my denial of being a lady. I complete it with a soft red glow on my face. The magic I used to hold Yasuo’s mouth drains me quite a bit. By the time I get to talking about the boat, my throat is dry again. Yone takes notice can grabs another waterskin. Naturally, I gulp it down.

“I told you, Brother. I told you that she was going to turn heads. I told-” Yasuo points at Yone. His face is something I would imagine on Starshadow’s when I do something that he specifically told me not to.

“Yes, I know you did. I would like to hear the rest of the story since we haven’t heard about how she managed to get on the Shadow Isles…” Yone snaps slightly. I don’t fault him. This is precisely what I was trying to avoid… though maybe this is the better option. Daamien mentioned that he could choose where we go, so maybe… Maybe we can choose the safer adventures. 

“At least there isn’t much left to talk about. The last bit is the Shadow Isles.” I bring their attention back to me when Yasuo pokes a little too much fun at his brother. Just the name in itself is enough to get them to stop squabbling. In this tale, I don’t have to try to keep Yasuo from acting up. It feels like a horror story. Just saying what happened to me… I feel like it couldn’t have happened to me. Everything about it is so surreal. Maokai, the Warden, Kahlista, … Viego. My stomach curdles in my stomach just thinking about it. I don’t tell them about my possession from both man and magic. It’s too much for me to even think about it, let alone speak of it. Too fresh. All I tell them is that Starshadow valiantly tried to protect me, but I had to grab him and run to keep us both alive. We were hunted down by the mist when we ran into Maokai. He protected me to the best of his ability. He wiped out the mist and gave me energy to teleport to a somewhat relative safety before we were teleported in front of them. I don’t try to explain what happened to me while I died. That’s… not something we want to relive. At the end, we’re simply silent. Yone is gently rubbing my arm in reassurance. I’m not sure if it’s for himself or for me. Either way, I take comfort in it. He still cares for me, even after all this time. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, we did last longer last time.

“You are full of surprises. Your blood actually lifted the Black Mist curse?” Yasuo speaks up. 

“For a moment. Weird, huh?”

“You could actually restore the Shadow Isles if you manage to increase your magic power.” Yone breathlessly comments. And with that, my shoulders feel immensely heavy. I bury my head into him. I don’t want to think about increasing magic power.

“Maybe it’s not an increase in magic power, but being able to control my magic.”

“Well, you certainly aren’t going to get anywhere with control over your magic just being in here all day. Let’s go out.” Yasuo perks right up, flipping over us. Yone gets up normally before offering me a hand up. 

“You should probably take a break. I think we can all use some air.”

“Well, maybe a break would be nice. I’d like to see how Navori is nowadays anyway.” I take his hand and let him pull me up, though he doesn’t let go of my hand. Yasuo happily leads the way out of the room. 

“I forgot that you were Navori before, with… less than pleasant experiences.” Yone remarks. We walk down a few steps that lead outside.

“I go places that need help. Less than pleasant experiences are just a fact of my life. Which… probably means that something less than pleasant is happening here.” I sigh. Yasuo and Yone both glance at each other. I shake my head. “Like I said, something is happening. You mentioned a mission here in Naavori. Do you mind telling me?”

“Yes.” Yone answers. Once again, Yasuo and I are surprised, though there’s a small part of me that’s indignant enough to make me cross my arms. I force us to stop right outside the building they are residing in.

“Brother?” Yasuo attempts to ask, but Yone doesn’t look in his direction. He’s looking at me.

“You just came back from the dead after visiting the undead, while also deciding to try to practice your magic. We are capable of completing it without your assistance. Just use this time to relax. Besides, Starshadow isn’t here to protect you if something goes wrong.” Yone is trying to be reasonable. For the most part, I get it. Though, when he brings up Starshadow, my indignation grows quite a bit.

“Are you saying that I need to be protected all the time? Consider the fact that I have magic-”

“That you are struggling to control. What happens if we’re forced to fight? You run out of magic too easily-”

“I can hold an entire room still if I need to. I’ve been able to do that for at least a year.” I snap.

“I just want you safe, Leilah. That’s all. Last time we saw each other, you came back with a hole in your throat and being unable to speak. You worried me. You still do. Then you nearly die in front of me” Yone reaches out and places a hand on my cheek. I sigh and lean into briefly before standing up as tall as I can… Which isn’t that much, but I have to try.

“I am not helpless, Yone. Not like I was back then.” 

“I never thought you helpless, Leilah. You are one of the strongest people I know, but… it’s just… Seeing you like that… I don’t want to put you into a situation like that. Our mission could do exactly that.” Yone seems a little flustered.

“But it’s ok if I do that to you?” I scoff. The younger brother takes notice of our slowly rising hackles and steps forward.

“This is our first mission without an adult coming with us. I guess Yone’s taking this like a test to see if he’s learned enough to come with you on your adventures, and he’s determined to see it through.” Yasuo wraps an arm around his brother’s shoulder. Yone glares balefully at his brother, but Yasuo did help. I’m not as mad anymore, though I’m not going to let this go.

“Yone, if you are coming along with me, you have to work with me, not if you are capable of doing your task by yourself. It’s not about keeping me safe, it’s about knowing and seeing what is happening, so I can help. I can’t just stay on the sidelines.”

“Leilah, please. Just rest. Maybe in a week or so we’ll tell you, but please remember that we witnessed you nearly die. If it wasn’t for Starshadow… I’m sure you wouldn’t be letting us go anywhere for awhile until we are completely healed ourselves.” Yone points out as we leave the hotel. A few people notice us in the crowd, but we’re left alone for the most part.

I really want to fume, but… he’s not wrong. Even after I healed them from the brink of death I’m sure I would be demanding that they rest. They’re just concerned for me… Maybe I can use that…

“Fine. On the condition that you tell me what your mission is.” I raise a finger. The brothers both let out a sigh of relief.

“Navori has been suffering from attacks for a few weeks. Normally, the monastery would not have answered, but there were claims that vulkodalks are in the area. They disappear and reappear without a trace, which is odd because they are rather big creatures.” Yasuo starts to explain.

“Vulkodalks?” I ask.

“What attacked you earlier. That was a juvenile.” Yone clarifies. I feel my blood drain from my face. That thing was able to knock me onto my back. It was longer than me… and it was a juvenile. I have to take a moment to breath.

“So yeah, we’re here to take care of the pests. We’ve already taken down seven of them. According to the report, there’s ten that need to be taken care of, so we only have three more left to collect before we’re done our mission.” Yasuo finishes cheerfully.

I frown. If it was that simple, I doubt we… I would have arrived here, even for a break. I’m pretty sure something else might be going on. If that’s the case… 

“Yone, Yasuo!” A distant cry interrupts our musings. We turn around to see a well dressed man running towards us. There are scratches all over his body. Yasuo and Yone are immediately on edge when the man collapses right in front of us, still bleeding heavily. I drop to my knees and try to heal his injuries slowly, like how Aurora and Daamien want me to. He heals up within seconds. I do my best not to growl under my breath as the man stares at himself in shock before looking at me. At least it isn’t an instantaneous heal, but I’d still rather not be healing someone faster than your normal healer.

“What is it, constable?” Yone interrupts. The man - constable jerks around to look at the two boys.

“There’s a whole pack of them in the middle of the city. They’re attacking everyone!” The man cries. My eyes widen and I try to teleport, only for my lungs to feel like they are being crushed again. I actually hunch over and try to claw air into my throat. I have to stop or risk passing out. 

“Leilah?” Yone is already crouched down next to me, trying to help.

“Can’t… teleport… Need… Starshadow… Go… I’ll… rest.” I cough out. Yone and Yasuo both nod before racing off. I force myself to breathe a little bit before looking at the man that came to us. He looks at me in surprise.

“Leilah? As in Sett’s girl Leilah?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O.O... Naughty Naughty, Sett. Granted, he is the type to just claim things and if no one says anything, then no one's going to refute him. 
> 
> So, this chapter is also a bit of a recap chapter, about everything that's happened. It's still slow, but at least this does confirm one thing. Yone will be going on one adventure with Leilah at least before everything goes to hell. We also see that Yone still thinks of Leilah as that girl who gets hurt easily. With how much training he's had, he has his pride. Unlike Leilah, he's never been on a mission without someone to be his sort of saviour. Leilah was literally in a place where it was do or die for her. She knows the importance of allies. Yone, in his pride, wants to prove to Leilah that he can protect her. It's a bit of that pride in a partner that one can protect the other. Yone, hearing about that, makes him desperate to prove he can keep her safe from her nightmares, so don't be too hard on him for trying to keep Leilah out. it's not going to be his first attempt to do so.
> 
> There's also a bit of a display of just how magically powerful and out of control Leilah is. Her magic reacts to her, not what she always wants it to do. Ever have those moments where you couldn't control your tempers? That's Leilah in a nutshell. And now, she's going to be practicing. 
> 
> Well, now that explanations are out of the way, I'm gonna ask for a review here and there because I don't know how I can improve without your feedback. Finally, I hope you guys are having an extraordinary day, night, evening, any time of the sun cycle. May you guys shine brighter than Leona and have the determination of Diana, while also having the kindness of Leilah and the humor of Starshadow, because you readers deserve to be so much more than ordinary.


	63. Conflict in Navori

“So you are Settrigh. It’s… nice to put a name to a face.” Yone says politely. Sett moves out of the sunlight so we can all see each other clearly. Sett raises an eyebrow.

“Who might you be?” Sett asks.

“Yasuo.” The younger brother starts with the introductions.

“Yone.”

“Huh. Never heard of ya.” Sett dismisses them. He brushes by Yasuo and crouches down a little bit to look right at me. “You look like shit. Where’s the little pipsqueak? The one that was ranting about you having a boyfriend.”

“He’s… not here right now…” It’s a bit of a sensitive topic.

“Well, now that you’re here, why don’t you and I get… acquainted.” The half-vastayan winks. He attempts to grab my arm when Yone steps between us.

“She needs food and rest.” Yone states coolly. Yasuo gently pulls me back from the two men. 

It… doesn’t look good. At all. Yone is around the same height as Sett, but Sett’s body almost makes the swordsman look small. Both seem to be glaring at each other. Yone’s is cool, collected, and stern. Sett’s is hot and determined. Neither of them are backing down.

“Remind me again, who are ya?” Sett’s voice drops angrily. I force Yasuo to let me go and I step between the two.

“The person who takes care of her needs instead of their own.” Yone takes a jab at the gladiator. I’m not exactly sure what’s gotten into him.

“So, you’re the competition pipsqueak mentioned.” Sett’s eyebrows rise and he pulls back. Yone narrows his eyes at the declaration. I try to shove the two apart, but it’s hard to do that when I’m trapped in a sixteen year old body… against two men at least nineteen with their own training. Moving either of them without magic is going to be impossible… But I’m too tired to actually use magic… Actually, I’m too tired to have patience for this behaviour anyway…

“Look, I really don’t know what you are talking about, but I need food and water pretty soon or I’m going right back to the hospital.” I snap loudly. Yone and Sett both jump at my temper and back away from each other. Yasuo steps up next to me and places his hands on my shoulders. Neither Sett or Yone glare at Yasuo.  _ What is up with them? _

“Uh, yeah. Hey, you remember Ahna, right?” Sett starts to walk off. He doesn’t try to grab me this time. Maybe it’s because Yasuo has my back, maybe it’s because Yone is there, I don’t exactly know, but he’s calmer as he walks off, leading us in a direction.

“Hard to forget. She was the only one trying to figure out how to help you while also keeping her business afloat.” I recall.

“Yeah, well, whatever you did with her place gave her big bucks. She managed to grow the place. Instead of a little shop, she’s got a restaurant near where I work.” Sett smiles a little fondly at the memory. I may not have to see his face to know he’s smiling. I can hear it in his voice.

“You work?” Yasuo asks conversationally. He’s keeping himself calm. Yone trails behind us closely.

“Yeah. How else am I supposed to give my ma the best stuff?” Sett makes it seem like it’s obvious. “How can you hear about me but not about my ma?”

“Starshadow told us. Leilah was… preoccupied.” Yone attempts to be civil.

“Ah. So the pipsqueak is responsible. Makes sense. Otherwise you would have known not to claim what’s mine.” Sett says casually.

“Excuse me?” Yone’s tone is very dark and angry. Yasuo tenses quite a bit. I frown.  _ What is Sett trying to say? _

“Meh. it’s alright. I get it. Only the best huh? Say, whatcha been up to lately, Sparkles? Heard ya ended up in the hospital for a day.” Sett changes the subject quickly.

“Uh, yeah. I got into trouble… a couple of times.” I mumble slowly.

“I didn’t hear anything about ya getting into a fight, though. How did ya get that badly hurt?”

“You don’t know that Leilah can teleport all over Runeterra?” Yone questions. I shoot a confused glare at Yone. Something in his voice sounds… pointed? Smug? I never thought he could be smug… Apparently, even Yasuo is surprised as he’s sharing the same look I have.

“She can? Damn. Never woulda thought that. Explains why I didn’t hear anythin’ bout her for a year. So, where ya come from to how you got so bad?” Sett keeps going, like hearing that I have another ability isn’t something to be surprising. He knew I had magic, since I ‘looked’ like a rich person and could hold other backs. Teleporting is something completely different, though with me, anything is possible. He’s… different now. He’s calmer than I remember.

“The Shadow Isles.” I answer honestly. Yasuo holds me back from smacking into Sett when he stops abruptly. Sett immediately turns around and stares down at me. I feel Yone walk up next to me, his arm around ym waist. I’m really not sure why, Sett isn’t going to hurt me.

“You went to the Shadow Isles… And survived.” Sett states the obvious. I sigh and nod. I know that it’s a miracle that someone can survive being there, but still, I’m getting tired of repeating myself.

“And I was also mauled by a vulkodalk right after teleporting here.” I add on. Sett blinks in surprise.

“How do you not have any scars or scratches? The damn things have some pretty powerful claws- Oh yeah. Healer. Right. Though, only a day or so?” Sett seems stunned.

“I’ve been… practicing.” I explain softly. Sett nods and keeps moving.

“Interestin’. Damn. You would be somethin’ Deviago would want ta have in his group of healers.” Sett casually drops.

“Deviago? You know Deviago?” Yone asks. He’s not smug or anything anymore. Just very curious.

“Yeah. He’s the man that owns the colosseum. Pays me good.” Sett shrugs.

“He was the one that sent for my brother and I. Stating that there’s a vulkodalk infestation here.” Yone answers.

“He asked for a Master Souma and got kids. Vulkodalks are no easy business.” Sett cautions them.

“Master Souma taught me everything I know. Yone is one of the best dual swordsmen around. He’s been able to spar some of our instructors into surrendering. Besides, the vulkodalks aren’t that bad. We were able to take care of the pack that appeared in the square after all.” Yasuo defends himself and his brother. Sett’s entire posture changes. It… doesn’t seem like he’s challenging them anymore. If anything, he’s respectful of them.

“Damn. Sorry for any offenses made. Thought you guys were just a bunch of bigshots lookin’ to impress Sparkles.” Sett holds his hands up.

“What about impressing me?” I ask. Yasuo covers his mouth to avoid letting out laughter, though we can all hear it. Yone snorts after a moment while Sett just shakes his head.

“You can take on the Black Mist and a vulkodalk mauling, but ya can’t understand… How old are ya?” Sett chuckles a little bit. 

“I’m still older than you.” I stick my tongue out.

“You sure don’t look or think like it, Sparkles. Anyway, here we are. Welcome to the ‘Dark Beauty.’” Sett waves his arm, gesturing to a hole in the wall. When I look up, I realize that we’re right under the colosseum that Sett had talked about getting in. Seems like Ahna made a nice place for herself, getting a location right inside the colosseum. The name of it… I decide to stay quiet about it. I really hope she didn’t name it because of what I think...

“How did she manage to get a space right inside the colosseum?” I gasp a little bit as I follow Sett inside.

“Whateva you did made her business boom. She managed to buy the spot and now, it’s the best place for food. Ahna!” Sett yells out. I look over to see both brothers be rather tense. Yasuo has one hand on his sword, Yone with his arms crossed. I rest my hand on Yone in concern.

“What’s the matter?” I ask. He sighs before holding my hand tenderly. He gently bestows a kiss on my hand. That reminds me. I snap my head to the younger brother. “Didn’t you have something to do?”

“Uh, well… I’m a little hungry myself. And I’d like to learn more about these gladiators. Fighting for money. Sounds a little interesting.” Yasuo stammers. I tilt my head in confusion before looking back at Yone expectantly. His eyes soften when he looks in mine.

“Don’t worry about it, Leilah. Get some food and water. I’m sure you want to catch up with Sett.” Yone comments coolly. I shake my head.

“I want to spend as much time with all my friends as I can. That includes you two.” I claim before grabbing both their hands and dragging them inside. Even if the name sounds a little… interesting, it’s actually a very respectable place. There are tables and chairs littering the area, with customers grabbing their food and settling down. I can see some foods with lots of grease and others with a lot more greens. There aren’t any people running around giving food, but the customers are getting up when a number is called and grabbing their food. They collect at a counter, where Ahna is personally handing them out. Away from the counter is a young woman. I think she’s taking orders as whoever comes by behind us heads straight to her. They talk for a moment, then she writes things down. Sett’s bypassed her altogether, leaning against the counter where food is given out.

“Ahna, lookie who’s here.” Sett gestures for us to come join him. There, Ahna’s standing in an apron, barking orders to her staff while handing out food. All of the people around her are frantically trying to get all the orders cooked.

“Settrigh, boy if you are trying to get me to pay attention to another one of your whores here, I’m gonna- Well, I’ll be. It’s been two years and you haven’t aged a day. Welcome to the establishment, Leilah.” Ahna starts to rant before greeting me warmly. I shyly wave a hand, letting go of Yasuo’s hand. Yone’s hand tightens around mine when he realizes that I didn’t let go of his.

“How have you been?” I greet her as energetically as I can, though to be honest, it’s not as much as I like.

“You really made my business into something. Now, I’m working as the prime spot for food. Thank you for that. Gerald! Take over! And get me five number twelves! Yes, I said five twelves!” Ahna barks. I jump a little bit when the counter she was working at opens into a door. She closes it behind her as a young man comes up and starts reading orders. She wipes her hands and gives me a tight hug. I have to let go of Yone’s hand to hug her back. She pulls away and starts to tilt my head left and right. “You’re skin and bones. What happened to you while you were gone? GERALD! Make one of the twelves a twenty-two!” 

“Um, a lot.” I feel a little overwhelmed by how much she’s switching between nice to be and barking orders.

“Well, you look like you’re going to fall over! Get yourself to a seat, let Ol’ Ahna take care of you and your friends. Usual, Sett?”

“You know it, Ahna. The number one.” Sett requests. She nods before looking back into her kitchen.

“Boris! I told you number twelves! Those are the healthy rolls! Not the greasy ones, you dumbass! Three months you’ve been working here and you still are fucking it up! One more mistake like that and I’m gonna have your head!” Ahna shrieks and stomps back into her kitchen. Yone grabs my hand and gently pulls me to a round table nearby. He pulls out a chair for me. Once I fall into it, he gently pushes me in before taking a seat on my right. Sett takes a seat to my left and Yasuo directly across from me. Sett leans backwards into his seat.

“She’s… an interesting person.” Yone starts politely.

“Ahna’s a woman that’s sweet as suga and tough as nails. Not even I wanna go toe-to-toe with her when she’s in a mood. And she’s determined to make food for ya. Might as well do your best to eat what she gives ya. She’ll raise hell if she thinks ya don’t like it.” Sett snorts.

“Numbers?” Yasuo asks. Yone’s hand sneaks under the table to hold my hand. I let him do so.

“We don’t ask for specific foods here. Numbers below fifteen are for people with a more physical life. Numbers after twenty five are for the audience. The cheap greasy stuff.” Sett starts before hesitating.

“What about in between?” I voice.

“Those ones are for kids or those that look a little sickly.” Sett reluctantly answers. I shrug my shoulders. I definitely feel tired.

“It’s not an insult. Does she ever refuse to let people take food?” I keep the conversation going.

“There are times. Sometimes a little kid wants a gladiator’s meal and she has to make a much smaller version, or someone coming in with sticks and bones requesting the greasy stuff and she makes a twenty-two. She takes good care of her customers. One of the reasons why she’s so popular.”

“Twenty-two?” I ask. I’m almost immediately answered when a simple but delicious smelling broth is gently placed in front of me. Yasuo and Yone help Ahna put down the kabobs she’s made for them, while Sett gets a huge slab of meat and a good side of vegetables and some bread.

“There you go, dearies. Don’t worry about paying. It’s on the house, for the healer and the ones Deviago sent for. He’s gonna cover their bill if I can help it.” Ahna starts friendly before taking a darker turn.

“What’s wrong with this Deviago?” Yone asks as he takes a bite. He looks pleasantly surprised at the taste. Yasuo happily digs into his meal. I take a sip from the soup and find it to be delicious. My stomach doesn’t feel so bad after one bite, though I’m not sure if it’s because I have something in my stomach or my magic is keeping me from feeling horrible.

“Bastard. He’s been boss for around half a year. That’s when things started to get shifty.” Ahna grabs a seat from nearby and sits herself between Sett and Yasuo. 

“Shifty?” Yasuo asks through a mouthy full of food. I can feel Yone’s silent chastisement in his eyes. 

“Yeah. He might be a people’s man, but some things he’s promised, like making the pits more entertaining, with more people, make me a little nervous. The appeal of the pits and fights are from seeing what a man is capable of. Hell, I enjoy watching this man fight because of his talents. What’s the boss got planned? What could be more entertaining than seeing what a man is capable of?” Ahna questions, gesturing to Sett fondly. Yone and Yasuo are interested, even taking a break from their meals.

“Interesting. He said that?” Yone asks.

“He’s been saying he’ll get even more fighters. Thing is, the best fights are when people want to fight. Everyone that does is already there, so how is he gonna get more?” Ahna points out. She shakes her head, like she’s clearing her head. “Now, whatcha boys doing here? And how do you know Dark Beauty?” Ahna looks at me pointedly. I groan and place a hand on my forehead. I can not believe it. She actually did it.

“Sett said that this place-” Yasuo starts when Ahna puts up a finger.

“I’m referring to the original Dark Beauty. Or should I be calling her Leilah?” Ahna laughs slightly. Yone raises an eyebrow.

“Your name means ‘dark beauty’?” Yone asks.

“Mother insisted.” I mumble while trying to drown myself in soup. “I wasn’t even that much of a dark baby.”

“At least they got the beauty part right.” Sett finishes his meal. Wow. I’m still not halfway done with my meal and his is just gone. Yasuo is just about to finish while Yone is going the same pace as I am.

“How did you figure it out?” I sip on my soup, glowing a little bit.

“Oh, there was this shuriman group that came by. I was barking orders and some teenage girl came by, asking for food. She’s working as my order taker right there.” Ahna starts, pointing to the girl who is taking orders and handing them to the kitchen. She seems pretty well accustomed to the place. “The Shurimans noticed my kindness and asked how I was so kind when others weren’t. Told them a sweet girl by the name of Leilah helped me out. They asked if you had dark hair. I asked why and they explained what the name meant. Decided I liked it and when I got this place, got the rights to name it as I- GERALDO! THAT HAD BETTER NOT BE A THIRTY BEING GIVEN TO A KID!” Ahna roars and leaves the table. Yasuo tries his best to not choke from laughing. Yone finishes his meal while I take the last bite. My stomach has never felt so full. She really does make amazing food.

“She’s easily distracted by her business. Who can blame her? If she messes up, it’s her restaurant’s reputation on the line.” Sett excuses her.

“She certainly has earned her reputation as the best food around.” Yone states politely. Sett stretches his arms above his head and places them behind. 

“Yeah. So, did you get anything useful out of that?” Sett asks, leaning forward and getting quieter. Yone nods.

“We at least have a clue. I’m not sure if we have anything else that would help us.” Yone replies just as softly, sensing that Sett quieted for a reason.

“Whatever you got, make sure Sparkles is safe. Like I said before, she’s… a person of interest.” Sett says pointedly. Yone stiffens up and nods his head.

“Why give that advice?” Yasuo asks. Sett glances at me briefly before standing up.

“I may not like ya that much, but you care for Leilah. That’s enough for me to know that you won’t let anything happen to her. Just saying, I’m trusting ya to keep her safe.” Sett murmurs as he leaves. Something about that makes me want to bristle a little bit. I don’t get the chance to speak up when Sett’s already left. Yone’s shoulders drop a little bit as he sags down.

“Are you alright?” I ask, rubbing my thumb across the back of his. He nods, looking at me with soft eyes.

“Just a lot of information to process.” Yone answers me. 

“Something’s not right with Deviago, that’s for sure.” Yasuo murmurs quietly. I gather up the empty plates, including Sett’s left behind plate and bring them to where all the others are dropping them off. Yone and Yasuo are staying behind, quietly talking with each other. I take the moment away from everyone to find Ahna. She’s reaming out the poor chef. He’s much taller than her, but he’s almost crying from how angry she is.

“Now get your mind in order and get cooking. I don’t want to see any more shit mistakes today.” Ahna snaps. Boris nods his head and bolts over to his station. Ahna sighs and comes back to me. 

“Would he happen to be having a bad day?” I suggest quietly. She’s a lot more… bossy than I remember.

“Sorta. He’s a big softie, worried about all the folks that got caught up in the attack. None of his family was there, thankfully, but that doesn’t make it easy on him. He’s wondering just how many people were hurt and how much he can sneak out for the hospital. It’s mostly why he’s messing up orders. He was trying to make sure extra comfort food was being made. Idiot. I was planning on making extra for them anyway, but I can’t have him messing up meals now.” Ahna shakes her head affectionately.

“You know, you’re very kind.” I remark with a smile.

“I named the place after ya, remember? Gotta live up to your standards.” Ahna winks. She then leans over the counter and gestures to me to lean in closer. I do so. “So, what’s the deal with you? You look like hell took a giant bite out of you and spat you back out.”

“Oh… well… it’s not exactly a nice story. I just got here after coming from the-” I start to say when Ahna looks over my shoulder and presses a finger against my lips. She stands up tall. Something’s wrong. The woman’s fairly friendly, but she’s not smiling with this person that just entered. I turn around to see who it is.

Three men walk into the restaurant. Two of them are much bigger. The man in front is wearing some of the fluffiest and flashy clothes I’ve ever seen. I think his top hat is taller than he is. He seems silly to me, but the two behind him make him look intimidating. My eyes widen when I recognize one of them. The man Goliath. He’s here. His eyes are on me. I bury my face into my scarf a little bit, but he still recognises me. With a smirk, he leans down to the short man and whispers something into the man’s ear. The short man listens attentively, locking his own eyes with mine. He makes a sharp gesture with white gloves. The two men behind him stalk forward, boxing me in. I desperately want to disappear right now, but I don’t want to give away that I have magic. I’m also uncomfortable with using magic because of the tear in my core. It makes me wish Starshadow was here, he’d know how to handle this.

“What do you want, Deviago? I told you, I already paid rent for this place.” Ahna snaps with her arms crossed. The two gladiators lean against the counter on opposite sides of me. I desperately look out, trying to find a familiar face. Yone and Yasuo both get up from their table and join us at the counter, but they are keeping their heads down. At least knowing that they are nearby is good enough for me. I take a deep breath to confront the man that is somehow shorter than me.

“This is a social visit. You already paid your rent. Who I want to talk to is this lovely lady in front of me. Might I take the moment to discuss business with you, miss?” Deviago’s nasally voice wreaks havoc on my ears. It takes all of my willpower not to cover them. He grins as wide as he can, making a gold tooth gleam in the dim late. I really don’t want to talk to this guy, but I’m not sure I have a choice. 

“Um, what kind of business?” I ask quietly. The man grabs my shoulder rather tightly and guides me over to a large table in a corner. He snaps his fingers. Goliath and his friend stand in front of our table. They’re big enough that I can’t get a good glimpse past them. That makes me a lot more nervous. I take a deep breath, convincing myself that Yone would never leave me in a bad situation. He wouldn’t…

“Why, I heard that you helped out today. With all those vulkodalks, you single handedly went around the battlefield, grabbing and protecting as many people as you could. Inspired so many different people into helping their fellow man. Without you, the results would have been catastrophic. So many people gone, just like that.” He snaps his fingers loudly. I jump a little bit at the noise and my nerves being on edge. “But you saved them. Even better, more people came to your aid. They scurried out of the woodworks and grabbed their fellow man.”

“It was the right thing to do.” I mumble. His grin gets wider. He reaches a hand out and holds my hands. It feels so wrong. He’s slimy, just like his words.

“Here’s the thing, the gladiators in my colosseum are constantly being hurt. With your skills, they can be back to fighting fit in no time. You get money, a place to stay, and protection. All you gotta do is stay in the colosseum.” Deviago caresses my hand. Everything is screaming at me how wrong this is, like Viego’s power in my head.

“No, thank you.” I bolt up, standing and trying to leave. Deviago whistles, making the two turn around. Goliath smirks and runs his eyes up and down my body. The urge to use my magic is much stronger. I almost use it when Yone clears his throat. All of us turn our attention to the barely contained swordsmen.

“Mr. Deviago. May we give our status on the infestation?” Yone asks politely. Only because I trained with him and got to know him that I can tell that Yone is furious. Yasuo has the same stormy look, only he’s letting it slip onto his face. I want to sigh in relief at their intrusion. At least this way some secrets of my magic will still be hidden, like I can’t control how much magic I use. I’m still recovering from everything, even if I didn’t look like it. More than likely, after all this, I’m going to be sleeping for over a day. 

“Ah, yes. Just let me finish my discussion with the girl first-” Deviago starts. Goliath grips onto my forearm. I can’t stop myself from using my magic at that moment. I force him to let me go. The other gladiator reaches for me, but I use a little more magic to stop him as well. My chest tightens so much I have to reach for it.

“We’re done.” I hastily say before bolting out the restaurant. I feel really bad about leaving so quickly, but I can’t stay in there anymore. I slam open the door and book it away. A few people starting to go in yelp when I accidentally slam the door in their face. I feel my nose break and start to gush. I cover my face while yelling apologies. I can’t be there. I have to leave.

I’m blinded by my terror. I don’t know where I run to. I don’t know where I am. I don’t even know how long. Somehow, one minute, the sun is up, the next, it’s almost sunset. I find myself hiding in a corner, struggling to breath. I’m behind a few dumpsters. No one can see me. No one can find me. No one can possess me. I’m going to be alright. I have to be. I feel exhausted. I wrap my arms around my knees and just start rocking. I bury my face into my knees. I want Starshadow. I need my bonded. He’d know what to do. He always does. He can help me.

There’s a bright light that opens up in front of me. I scoot back, trying to hide, but my back is already to the wall. I can’t hide any further. I’m trapped. I’m going to be spotted. My magic… it’s too low to make me disappear in time.

“Miss?” A man asks. I gasp and look up. There’s a friendly face, one that I haven’t seen in a long time.

“I remember you. You were the one that helped me with that man.” I remark tiredly. He nods and kneels down in front of me.

“That’s right. Are you ok?” He’s concerned. I open my mouth, only nothing comes out. My throat is closed up. I don’t need to speak to answer him though. I can see it in his eyes. He knows. “Do you have anyone here for you? The Kinkou Order?” I start to nod before shaking my head. I don’t want to be found like this. “Do you have a place to stay?” I shake me head before noticing the building in front of me. With a confused face, I gesture to the building the man came out of. He glances back before nodding his head. “This is a Navori clinic. It’s a small little place outside of Navori. We tend to the people tilling fields and too poor to live in the city. Would you like to stay here?”

Now that is an interesting question. I have a place with Yone. I could stay with them. They’re probably worried about me. I did run off and leave them there. Though, maybe it’s for the best. Yone didn’t call for me to wait. Granted, Deviago’s there. Maybe he’ll come find me after his mission is over, like he originally wanted. Besides, if this place is far away, I can learn how to control my magic. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. With that, I nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leilah's default seems to be running away... It's not a bad default. At least she's alive and in safe hands, though that doesn't nessessarily solve the issue. At least she's found a way to get her break. She's definitely had a rough time of it lately. I almost feel bad for her... except I'm evil and you guys love it when Leilah overcomes whatever is happening. 
> 
> With that said, what do you guys think of Deviago and his goons? I know the Sett vs Yone part was a little short, but I felt like Sett wouldn't have made a move unless he knew she knew his intentions. He's happy being her friend, as she was one stranger who helped and believed in him. He doesn't want to lose it, and he knows something is up with Deviago. It's not safe for her to be near him just yet. When he has everything he wants, he'll come after her fully, as he sees that being rich is a way to charm her. Yone is adorable in his jealousy, and Leilah is socially blind. All she knows is that she has feelings for Yone. Sett doesn't even come close to taking her heart, so she's not inclined to notice his advances. That's not to say she will never notice, but she's not looking at him with interest. 
> 
> As Always... I'm going to change things up. I hope that you live your day to the fullest, taking advantage of whatever you can like Ekko (Without the time jump back). I hope you eat any obstacle in your path like Cho'gath (Not literally!) And that you all have an extraordinary day. P.S. Love to hear what you guys think about this chapter!


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